


Rage and Serenity

by Lalaith_Quetzalli



Series: Nightingale [18]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - X-Men Fusion, Avenger Loki, BAMF Loki, Big Brother Thor, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Cherik - Freeform, F/M, Families of Choice, Family, Loki Feels, M/M, Memories, Memory Loss, Minor Character Death, Mutants, Protective Thor, Soulmates, X-men: The Last Stand Fix-It, X2: X-Men United (2003)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-11 00:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 76,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5606380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalaith_Quetzalli/pseuds/Lalaith_Quetzalli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate Universe to Nightingale (works as Stand Alone) </p><p>The plan was for her to stay away, to be safe... it required a sacrifice, one they were willing to make. The plan never was for her to become a fighter and join the war against an alien army, yet some things are just meant to be. Some destinies have been written in the stars since the beginning of time...  </p><p>Or, The one where, no matter her name, She will always be a warrior deep inside and all roads lead to Rome (or New York... as the case may be). </p><p>
  <i>If you read this as a Stand Alone, all you need to know is that this takes characters from the X-Men moviverse, the MCU and two major OFCs, it's an AU for both my original fic and the two fandoms (only the first X-Men movie happened as in canon), the changes are explained in the story itself.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Silbhé

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything from the MCU, X-Men, or anything else you might see in this fic, aside from the Original Characters, though I certainly don't own the actresses who play them in my mind, and sometimes in fanarts.
> 
> To those who might be interested. Silbhé is played by Emily Browning, and Kathryn by Kristin Scott Thomas.
> 
> Also, XMDoFP never happened (neither version of events), except for very specific details that will be mentioned in the fic. In other words, no apocalyptic future caused by Mystique's actions (I honestly think that, in the universe I've created, so many heroes together... they'd have never allowed for things to go that far). 
> 
> This is the fic that kept getting longer and longer. At first I had no idea what exactly I was going to write. Then I began asking myself how things would have been if Nightingale had been part of a different group (like a variation of my previous AU Secret Warriors), and it kinda snowballed from there. Also, I ended taking this opportunity to bring out all the feels that oldCherik always brings me. While I much prefer to write FirstClass-era fix-its (it's easier that way). I'd had ideas for something like this in the back of my head for a very long time. Now I'm finally writing it all down (that's probably why this fic is turning out twice as long as it was originally supposed to be). 
> 
> Anyway, hope you like it. Here we go!

Rage and Serenity

(Alternative Universe to _Nightingale_ and _Songstress_ )

_By: Lalaith Quetzalli_

_The plan was for her to stay away, to be safe... it required a sacrifice, one they were willing to make. The plan never was for her to become a fighter and join the war against an alien army, yet some things are just meant to be. Some destinies have been written in the stars since the beginning of time..._

**Silbhé**

When you're neither human nor mutant, where can you find a home?

I was in my favorite corner of the manor's huge grounds. One of the areas that served as gardens, that one in particular was full of roses in every color of the rainbow (even some that most human might believe impossible), with scattered lavender bushes around and a huge jacaranda tree in full bloom in the middle. The flowers bloomed all year long, which wasn't really normal, but then again, it's not like any of us living in that place, in the 1407 Graymalkin Lane of North Salem in Westchester County, New York, was normal at all. The place was, after all, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters... and while most people believed that meant geniuses or something like that, the truth was very different. The students, almost everyone living there really, was quite gifted, though not in ways most people, most humans, might expect... though that was probably because most of us weren't quite human, we were more.

I was playing my black jade dizi (Chinese traversal flute), sitting in an ornate stone bench someone had carved, probably without tools, many years earlier, with detailing that would amaze most master sculptors.

Her approach was slow, hesitant, and I knew that the fact that I didn't immediately stop playing made it seem like I was ignoring her, or maybe simply hadn't noticed her there, neither of which was true. Those that knew me understood that music was part of my life, the way I expressed myself, what was in my heart and soul, when words failed me.

Eventually I stopped, put the dizi down on my lap and turned my head to the petals floating on the breeze. I didn't say a word, not until I sensed the person sitting beside me on the bench, who'd arrived while I'd been playing, about to move.

"I know you're there." I told her calmly.

"I didn't mean to bother you." She said quietly.

"You didn't." I assured her. "Few people are ever interested in this little corner of the grounds. Vera created it just for me, she knows how much I love roses... and most of the students would rather spend their free time playing around, doing sports or on video-games."

"I know." She nodded. "I was there for a while but... I just wanted a change, some peace."

"I know what you mean." I assured her.

And I did, I much preferred peace and quiet, which I usually found either in that little rose-patch, or the music room... at least whenever the poor excuse for a band wasn't trying to play something (emphasis on 'trying').

"What you were playing just know... the melody...?" She didn't seem to quite know how to word her question, though eventually she managed. "Does it have a name?"

"Not quite." I answered honestly. "It's just... I created the melody, if you could call it that, there are no sheets, no registry, but I know the notes and play them by heart, I put them together years ago... So I suppose the melody exists, even if mostly in my own head. I like to call it Trail of the Angels... it's supposed to be a lullaby."

"It's beautiful." She offered. "And very peaceful..."

I couldn't help the smile as she said that. It was peace that I sought when I'd created the melody, and whenever I played it, I was glad someone could share those feelings with me.

"I'm Silbhé Salani." I told her, offering my hand as I twisted around just enough to face her (for we were sitting on the same bench, but turned in opposite directions). "Some people around here call me Canary if you prefer."

She seemed to hesitate for a couple of seconds before finally taking my offered hand in her own, a glove keeping her skin from touching mine.

"Canary..." She repeated. "Quite fitting. I am Rogue..." She hesitated again. "My friends call me Marie... just Marie."

Rogue... I knew who she was. Everyone in the school knew, in some level, after the confrontation between the X-Men and the Brotherhood on Ellis Island... and even before that, when the X-Men had found her and that feral mutant, Logan, and first brought them to the school. I also knew that no one in the school referred to her as Marie, not even the teachers, she was always Rogue. Logan was the only one to call her by her birth-name, the fact that she was offering it to me...

"And am I your friend?" I asked her softly.

"I think I would like that." She admitted quietly.

"Then call me Silbhé." I smiled at her. "Few people do around here, to be honest, but that's still my name."

It was a couple of hours before I had to move. Not much had been said, but at some point, after Rogue mentioned that it'd been the sound of the flute that first drew her to my little garden, I brought the flute to my lips I began playing again. I didn't realize at first, probably wouldn't for a while, but that was when I began composing again, the first song I composed in two years... since my life had done a complete and unexpected 180.

 **xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

" _I gotta go now, I'm needed elsewhere... You know, there's a meeting starting in a few minutes of, well, you could call it a club, the theme is mythology, mostly European. In case you're interested. It takes place in the Reading Room in the East Wing."_

The words were still ringing in Rogue's head even as she stepped into the room where the meeting was taking place. There were a number of people already in the room, some sitting in couches and chairs around the place, others in huge cushions, or even on the floor. The green eyed, brown haired (except for a white streak) sixteen-year-old could even recognize several of those present: like Bobby Drake, St. John Allerdyce, Kitty Pryde, Piotr... something, she couldn't actually remember the boy's name, only that he was the same age as her, unlike the other three, who were a year younger. There were also a couple of teachers around, though it was hard to tell if they were there to supervise the club or they were simply interested in the topic.

"Good evening everyone." A soft, melodic voice announced the arrival of the 'teacher' that was to lead the session.

Rogue had to do a double-take as her eyes laid on the newcomer, and she was sure she wasn't the only one. A young woman stepped into the room then, about five feet tall (if that), with hazel eyes, auburn hair in a twist at the back of her head and wearing the same short-sleeved, floor-length salmon colored dress with a black collar she'd been wearing earlier as she played the flute in the rose garden...

"Is this some kind of joke?!"

"You cannot be our teacher... you've gotta be a student like us!"

"She's just a girl!"

The comments began coming from every direction and, as Dr. Grey (Jean Grey) began moving, probably getting ready to bring the room to order, Rogue suddenly had a very good idea of why the other two teachers were truly there.

"Silence everyone please." The young woman called.

She barely raised her voice, nothing like what Rogue, or most of those present might have been expecting, and yet there was an undercurrent of power running through every word. The whole room went silent in seconds.

"Thank you." She nodded politely. "Now, to address your concerns. No, I'm not a student. Yes, I am young, but I can assure you I'm perfectly capable of leading a mythology club. I may be just a few years older than most of you, and younger than any of the other professors, but I'm not a student, at all." She made a pause, making sure she had everyone's attention before continuing: "My name is Silbhé Salani and I have a double Masters in Mythology and History, and am currently working in my Masters in Literature, as it is I have leave to teach the former two. Have several papers published, including my Graduate thesis in Mythology: _Gods of Flesh and Blood_ , in which I explore the possible true individuals that might have been once called gods in ancient times, even though they were anything but."

"I've read that!" A girl in the back of the room, Theresa Cassidy called abruptly. "You said that some of them might be like us!"

'Like them'... while Silbhé hadn't exactly used the term mutant, she'd offered the possibility of there actually being gifted people... it wasn't as wild a theory as some might have believed, even those who didn't know the truth about the people living and attending the Xavier Institute.

"Indeed." Silbhé nodded. "I am also fluent in nearly a dozen languages. I hope you'll find my credentials to be enough and we might begin this first session of our club..."

"What's your name?" John called from a side.

"I believe I'd answered that already." She stated, kindly. "I am Silbhé Salani..."

"Your real name!" John... Pyro interrupted.

"Ah..." Silbhé nodded in understanding. "Let me tell you something Mr... Pyro. That might be the name you choose to bear. But taking new names does not mean the old ones no longer count, unless you do not want them to. I was given the name of Silbhé Arianna Kinross-Salani upon my birth, and that will always be my name, regardless of whatever might happen." She made a pause to let her words sink in, before continuing. "Now, if you still wish to know, some of the children right here in the institute have given me the name of Canary, and it is one I carry with pride."

Pyro didn't say anything else, it looked like he didn't quite know how to react to what their new 'teacher' had just said. At the very least her speech seemed to made some people think. While some might choose to drop their birth-names after having been disowned by their families, choosing new names for themselves, that didn't mean they all had to do it. In Rogue's personal case, she felt more like Rogue than Marie, had since her power had first manifested; and yet that did not mean that the part of her that was Marie didn't exist anymore, it was just more guarded. She probably would never be D'Ancanto again, though.

"Now, lets begin with something simple." Silbhé stated, taking charge of the club with little effort, she'd already managed to make an impression. "What is a myth...?"

Dr. Grey left the room quietly as Canary took charge of the group, coming to the conclusion that her presence wasn't really necessary. Prof. Honey, on the other hand, chose to stay, she was actually intrigued by the club.

Unfortunately, the trouble didn't actually end there. After some talk about what a myth was, and the kind of individuals that had been called 'gods' in ancient times, Silbhé/Canary had gone straight into the Greek Pantheon. However, when she moved to switch the display on to show them some pictures, she realized the projector had been fried. There was no way of knowing for sure if it'd been Pyro, or someone else. The brunette teacher moved immediately to aid Silbhé, though there was little she could do, and everyone knew it.

"It's quite alright Jen." Silbhé said softly when noticing the older woman was quite preoccupied about the whole thing. "I suppose we'll just have to make this little session a bit more interesting than originally planned..."

Before anyone would ask what she meant the answer came. Silbhé moved her hands, as if she were drawing something in the air (or directing an orchestra); nothing happened for a handful of seconds or so, and then the light seemed to begin changing right before her, taking shape, and different colors. It took almost a full minute, but suddenly there seemed to be a semi-translucent painting floating in the air right before the auburn-haired young woman.

"Now, as I was saying." She stated as she stepped around the image, the illusion. "The Greek Pantheon consists of a number of gods and goddesses than can be divided in several manners. For this club we'll classify them according to their level of power and lineage. The highest three then would be the ones known as the brothers, the most powerful of them: Poseidon, who ruled over the seas, Hades, whose purview was the underworld, and Zeus, god of thunder, lord of the skies and King of all the gods..."

Professor Xavier was there when everyone exited the room at the end of the session.

"Everything go alright then?" He asked as he waved at the children who said their good-nights to him as they passed.

"You know exactly how it all went." Silbhé stated with a smile.

It wasn't a rebuke, not even a complaint. She knew better than most how Charles Xavier's telepathy worked, even if she wasn't actually a telepath herself. She could sense when he was in her head and she didn't mind, never had.

"Well dear, I come here to tell you that the children are waiting for their bedtime song..." The Professor pointed out.

Silbhé actually froze for a second, before turning her eyes to the clock on the hall. If the professor heard her mental curse (in Gaelic) he didn't comment, he just nodded and chuckled gently as he watched her run down the hall, in the direction of the North Wing and the second floor, where the youngest kids' dorms were located.

A few of the 'students' were actually curious enough to follow her. They arrived just in time to learn just why the hazel-eyed young woman was called Canary. No one said a word, they just stood there, watching in awe as she stood in the hallway, just outside the doors that lead to the youngest children' dorms and, without any signal or background music, began singing. None of them had ever heard such a song, such a voice, it was no wonder the children loved her...

"Found myself today  
Oh I found myself and ran away  
Something pulled me back  
The voice of reason I forgot I had  
All I know is you're not here to say  
What you always used to say  
But it's written in the sky tonight"

"So I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even if it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
Someone's watching over me"

"Seen that ray of light  
And it's shining on my destiny  
Shining all the time  
And I wont be afraid  
To follow everywhere it's taking me  
All I know is yesterday is gone  
And right now I belong  
To this moment to my dreams"

"So I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even if it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
Someone's watching over me"

"It doesn't matter what people say  
And it doesn't matter how long it takes  
Believe in yourself and you'll fly high  
And it only matters how true you are  
Be true to yourself and follow your heart"

"So I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even if it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
That I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even when it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
That someone's watching over  
Someone's watching over  
Someone's watching over me  
Someone's watching over me"

**xXx**

It was a couple of weeks, days filled with mornings working inside the mansion, in classes or doing research, meal-times full of laughter (even as distance was kept, for reasons), and then afternoons relaxing in a corner of a garden, with nothing but the blue sky on top, the smell of roses around them, and the seemingly endless sound of a black jade flute. Eventually Rogue felt confident enough to ask the questions that had been in her head since the start.

"How long...?" Even then she didn't seem to quiet know how to phrase it.

"How long what?" Silbhé inquired in turn, calmly. "How long I've been here? How long I've had powers? How long I've known the Professor?"

"How about all of the above?" Rogue quipped with a small smile.

"Whether you believe it or not, each of those questions has a different answer." Silbhé pointed out calmly as she laid back against the jacaranda tree.

For whatever the reason, the auburn-haired girl had chosen to ignore the bench that day, instead sitting on the grass, with her back against the tree. Rogue, who was actually on the bench, watched as she waved the flute in her hand around, seemingly without a care, until colors began taking shape ever so slowly; Silbhé was using her powers.

"I've been here for a little over a year now." The hazel-eyed eventually answered. "Though things actually began happening to me months, possibly as long as a year before... I didn't notice at first, I don't think... and about the last... Aunt Kathryn had known about Professor Xavier for years, I think she might have worked with him at some point, before I was born."

"Worked with him?" Marie wasn't expecting that.

"She was an agent, worked for the government for fifteen years." Silbhé stated calmly. "Mostly the British one, I think. She retired when I was three years old, after my mum died, to help my father look after me."

"Where's your father?" The younger girl blurted out before she could think better of it.

"Somewhere in Germany with his second wife and his step-children." Silbhé shrugged even as she said that. "It had nothing to do with my powers, if you're wondering. He knows nothing about them. Not because I was hiding it from him, he simply was never around to find out. When I was young he was always working, then later on I was always studying and he began traveling around. By the time I was sixteen he spent more time in other countries than he did at home. Him marrying someone and moving away officially wasn't really that much of a change at that point." She shook her head. "In any case, I think Aunt Kathryn worked with the Professor some time in the eighties... either that or she'd at least heard about him. About his true work, and not just the articles and conferences most people know him for. The moment she realized what was going on she immediately said we'd to come see him. I still stayed at home for a while, until my powers began growing faster and we realized it might be safer here..."

"But..." Marie hesitated.

"Just say it." Silbhé pushed.

"I don't see how your powers could be dangerous." Rogue admitted. "I mean, you know what I can do, the way I have to stay covered all the time. What you can do... they're just illusions!"

Silbhé didn't answer to that comment, or at least not verbally. Rogue said nothing as she watched what looked like colorful brushstrokes in the air, almost as if the wind had color (it kind of reminded the girl of that song 'Colors of the Wind' and the Disney movie of that Indian princess she'd seen once... it'd never been her style, but still). Soon it wasn't only the colors, but leaves and petals were twirling around as well. For a minute or so Marie believed it was a pretty illusion, though she considered the ones of painting and sculptures of gods and myths to have been much more interesting, until she extended a hand, and ended with a handful of petals in it.

"Are you in my head?" She blurted out suddenly, instinctively closing her hand around the petals. "Are you making me believe they're real?"

"I don't need to make you believe anything Marie." Silbhé told her calmly.

The colors disappeared abruptly, and yet the petals and leaves were still there, though they began falling. Rogue opened her hand to find semi-crushed petals in her palm. They were real, she had no doubt about that.

"I'm no telepath." Silbhé explained. "When I create my illusions... I don't go into people's heads to make them believe they're seeing something that doesn't exist."

"How do you do it then?"

"I... we think I manipulate the light, somehow. Kind of like the hard-light holograms in sci-fi movies." The hazel-eyed wasn't sure how to explain it, but was trying her best. "I've been told you even feel something, as if the air thickened, if you touch them. Though they certainly don't feel real." She made a pause before adding. "The point I was trying to make just now however, is that my powers consist of more than just my illusions."

"How? I mean... illusions and telekinesis? How do those two relate?"

"I don't think they actually have to relate. There are other mutants with two gifts that don't necessarily connect. Like Emily Silverfox, she can turn into diamond and has a level of telepathy. I've been told she inherited both from her mother, Emma Frost. Then there's of course Dr. Grey, she's both telekinetic and telepathic, though I think the second one is minor, at least compared to the Professor..."

"I've heard about that, but it's supposed to be rare, isn't it, people with more than one gift, and particularly unrelated ones..."

Silbhé actually considered lying. Even if she'd already told Rogue that her illusions weren't actually a mind-trick; one could say that manipulating light and manipulating mass (for her telekinesis) weren't that different), she was sure she could even make it sound believable! Silbhé wasn't what most would consider a good liar, but she was a master at twisting words to make people believe one thing even when she meant something entirely different... And yet, Marie was her friend, and the hazel-eyed girl didn't like lying to her friends. Also, if things went right, most people would end up finding out the truth about her sooner or later, not just when it cam to the gory details of her family-life, but mainly of the fact that she had multiple powers (more than just illusion and telekinesis, in fact).

"Do you trust me?" The hazel-eyed young woman asked unexpectedly.

"Yes." Marie's response was automatic, almost instinctive, which showed how honest she was being about it.

It was also shocking, considering the two girls had only known each other for two weeks, and there was still so much they didn't know. Marie had explained (and not just to Silbhé) about her old life in a small town in Mississippi. How it'd been a good life, until the first time she kissed a boy... her mother had been either too weak or too afraid, her father either too afraid or too angry, and the town as a whole did not understand... all they knew for certain was that her boyfriend was in a coma, in the hospital, and it was somehow her fault. Marie'd had to leave.

Silbhé herself had only just revealed her own story that very day... and somehow they trusted each other already... it was shocking.

The smaller (but older) girl took advantage of the momentary pause as Rogue fully-processed what she'd just said and, before the younger (but taller) girl had a chance to say a word, a creamy-skinned hand was pressed against a tanned cheek.

Marie was about to scream, but before she could, fingers were placed on her lips.

"Sh..." Silbhé told her quietly, calmly, still holding Marie's face in her hands. "It's alright. No reason to panic. I'm just fine. See?"

And Rogue could see, once she took a moment to calm down. Silbhé didn't look any different, even as she kept touching Rogue, her veins weren't becoming more obvious beneath her skin, her eyes weren't rolling into the back of her head, she wasn't paling and, more importantly, Rogue wasn't feeling any energy or power feeling her.

"Take off your glove." Silbhé instructed.

Marie was still shocked by the whole thing, she did as asked without even stopping to think about why exactly she'd made a point of never taking off her gloves, not even when she slept. Her roommate seemed to be tense enough around her even with Marie covering as much of her body as she could, it was actually kind of sad.

After several seconds the two girls were kneeling beside the stone bench, with the roses all around them, holding hands, and nothing was happening. For a moment it was as if Rogue's power were gone, as if she'd never had them. Though she knew that wasn't true. She could feel the edge of... something that she identified as her gift (or her curse) in the back of her mind, along with other things. But still, it wasn't reacting to Silbhé's touch at all, she remained completely unaffected, they both did.

"How...?" She wasn't even sure how to word that particular question.

"They don't know." Silbhé shrugged a bit as she admitted that. "I'm not a mutant. The Professor has tested me, as did Dr. McCoy, one of his first generation of students. My genes do not show the mutations that characterizes everyone gifted... however, there's something else there... like a hint of something else. Not enough to justify why I can do the things I do though..."

"And what about you?" Marie inquired softly, refusing to let go just yet, it felt so good... being able to touch somebody again... "Do you know why?"

"You picked up on that, huh?" Silbhé couldn't help but smile. "It's all part of the mess that is my life..." She sighed. "It's kind of a long story..."

"I'd love to hear it, if you're willing to share..."

"Very well. I told you that I've been here for a year, that things began happening before that, but I didn't move here until Aunt Kathryn and I decided it was for the best... that's true, thought it has less to do with my powers, and more to do with other things, like my mind. You're not a telepath, so I'm not quite sure how to explain it in a way that you might understand, but I'll try... you see, there are parts of my mind, of my memories, that are missing." She made a pause, reconsidered and then revised her statement. "Well no, not quite missing. They're there alright, I just don't have access to them."

"And couldn't the professor help you?"

"No. He's tried. That's why I first came, not because of my powers, Aunt Kathryn didn't know about those, no one did, until much later. The professor looked into my mind when Aunt Kathryn explained to him that I seemed to be exhibiting a sort of selective amnesia, with pieces of my memories missing for no apparent reason. He explained to us that the memories were still there, they were just locked."

"And the key?"

"I don't know, I don't have it. Or at least I don't think I do..."

"So what? Someone blocked some of your memories, why?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think there was a very good reason for it. Don't ask me to explain, it's some kind of instinct I have. Like there's someone who wanted to protect me and the only way they knew how was to seal those memories."

"And you think that... what? Once it's safe, once you're safe, you'll get them back? How will you know when the time comes?"

"The professor agrees with me that I will get my memories back someday. If I weren't meant to, they would have been erased, rather than just sealed. I mean, someone with the power to lock parts of my mind surely wouldn't have had any trouble deleting them instead. But they didn't. We think that means I will get them back someday. I don't know when that'll be, I suppose we'll be finding out when it happens."

"So, if not because your powers, why did you end up here?"

"Well, the powers came later, around the same time talks about a Mutant Registration Act began... we knew already that no tests would ever show anything was different about me, but Aunt Kathryn didn't want to risk it. We also had seen suspicious people around our home a few times. The Professor offered me a safe place here. I told him I'd help any way I could... and that's pretty much how I ended singing the little children to sleep every night."

"You have a beautiful voice."

"Thank you."

"And then there's the mythology club, of course."

"Yes, the club... that's actually supposed to be practice, to be a teacher, I mean. We hope that I can learn enough with the club sessions, and the students can get used to a teacher that's barely a couple of years older than them. If all goes well I will begin teaching History to some of the groups next semester, possibly even Literature, once I finish that degree."

"And languages. Why do you even know that many?"

"Well, English might be my first language, but my mother was actually Irish, that was hers, and while I can only remember one lullaby and a few endearments and phrases she'd use in that language, I learned it at a young age, in her memory. When I was young I met a boy, called Luka. He gifted me the dizi, in fact. I learned Norse for him, I think that was his birth-tongue..."

"You think?"

"He's part of the things I cannot remember. I mean, I remember he existed, his name, that he gave me the black jade flute... and I have an image of him as a child, thirteen-years-old or something, though a part of my mind says there's something wrong with that image..." She shook her head. "Probably because he's older now... but I cannot remember that. I'm quite sure that couldn't have been the last time I saw him, but I have no other memories of him."

"You think he's the one who locked your memories?"

Silbhé had to actually stop and consider what Marie had just said, the implications of it all. A part of her felt there was something very right about that idea, and at the same time, not quite. They were missing something, something huge... in the end, all the hazel-eyed could do was shrug, it wasn't like theorizing about what or who might have sealed her memories would make them unseal any faster.

"In any case, that's how it began." Silbhé went on, going back to their original topic. "When I got interested in mythology, I realized that a lot of the texts about it when in other languages. At first I consulted translations, but there were actually different versions, and I since I wasn't sure which one could be trusted, I decided I'd rather know the truth, so I began learning other languages: like Spanish, Greek, French, some Latin... eventually we realized I had a gift for languages. And so, here we are."

"Would you teach me?" Marie inquired unexpectedly. "A language, I mean?"

"I don't see why not." Silbhé nodded. "I mean, it won't be easy. It's easier to learn languages when we're children, and it gets harder as we get older, but we could do it, if you really want to."

"I do." Rogue nodded enthusiastically. "I've always wanted to, and I feel like I might be good at it, maybe."

"I'm sure you will." Silbhé assured her. "Which language would you like to learn? I can offer you Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Irish, Norse, Italian, Greek, Latin... and I'm currently in the process of learning Russian, though that's been slow-coming."

"German." Rogue answered without hesitation.

There was an odd glint in her eyes as she said that, but Silbhé didn't ask about it, Marie would explain it to her when she chose to, or she wouldn't. It was all the same in the end.

**xXx Marie's POV xXx**

Those who talk about everyone being equal have no idea what they talk about. There's no true equality in the world. Some might focus on the usual: white vs. black, men vs. women, rich vs. poor... yet there is another inequality: human vs. mutant. That was the one that concerned me most, for a very simple reason, I'm a mutant.

I asked myself more than once: when I was human (or at least when I believed I was) did I support mutants? Or at least was I fair to them? I honestly didn't know. I didn't think I ever actually met a mutant before I became one myself...

It wasn't easy, growing up in a place like Meridian, Mississippi. Like most small towns, people were entrenched in their ways, their traditions, their ideologies. They didn't insult mutants or other minorities, but that was probably because they weren't even in their radar. If anyone there was a mutant they kept it completely secret. Until me...

There was a time when I had a life, plans for the future. I was sixteen-years-old, studying high-school, young and so full of dreams... I had a map nailed to my wall, with markings of all the places I was going to travel to, my very own adventure... after high-school, before college, that was what I said whenever someone asked me when I would do it... I never expected the circumstances in which I ended taking that trip.

David was a sweet boy. I suppose he still is. Not the kind I would have chosen to marry; but then again, I wasn't planning on staying in that small town for the rest of my life. I always wanted to travel, see the world... I suppose I ended doing that.

People always talk about the first kiss being magic... mine was a curse. I don't know if that was when my power first activated. Maybe it'd been there before, I just hadn't noticed? Hard as I might try to remember, I cannot be sure when was the last time I kissed my mother, embraced either her or my father, the last time I touched anyone. Was it that same morning? The night before? Even before that?

In any case, it happened. I pretty much sucked the life out of David with a kiss, he ended in a coma for three weeks. I left town the same day he woke up. I simply couldn't stand it. Three whole weeks hearing people whispering behind my back (and then there were the times when they didn't bother whispering, or even doing it behind my back). Everyone knew David's state was my fault, even if no one knew how I'd done it. When I heard Mrs. Lawrence tell my mom that David had finally woken, I knew I had to leave, before someone actually asked him the very important question and he confirmed the obvious: that I had done it, that I wasn't human...

I don't quite know what to think about my mother. She wasn't a bad woman. Nor was my father a bad man, though he was too much a believer of the old ways, stating that big cities were cesspool of sin and depravity, that everything new was a temptation from the devil; and that if things still were as they'd been when he was a kid then the world wouldn't be going to hell... I knew he would never be able to deal with his own daughter being so different, a mutant... He defended me, for those first few weeks, insisting that David's state wasn't my fault. He berated me for having been with him behind closed doors, on my bed, but refused to believe that I could have put him in a coma. I knew differently, and I think, so did my mom.

So I packed everything I could in a rucksack, got dressed in the best clothes I had (from a store, rather than second-hand, they'd been a gift for my last birthday), the quality was better than most thing I owned, and I hoped that meant they would last longer. My mother was waiting for me in the kitchen when I slipped inside, intending to take what food I could find. She'd already packed me some things and was just waiting for me.

My mother knew I was leaving, she'd probably known even before I did. She never even asked me to stay, and that's something that makes me sad; at the same time, she gave me food, and all the money she had (which I knew she'd been saving for years, and which pretty much allowed me to survive the following weeks and months on my own, going from place to place, doing my best to survive). It was likely that no matter how much time may pass, I would never know for sure how I felt about her.

I did know one thing for sure, though. Had known it for a while, though especially since finding myself a new home: I was no longer Anna Marie D'Ancanto, that name had stopped being mine the day I left my parent's home, and Meridian as a whole, like a thief in the night. No, my name was Rogue, a name that answered to the power of my skin, the curse... and maybe, in a corner deep inside, a corner very few people could reach, a part of me was still Marie...

It was actually Logan who made me realize that last part. I know it wasn't his intention, not really, and yet I owe him so much, more than my life (impossible as it might seem). I will never forget that moment, after he found me in his trailer; when, instead of leaving me alone on the snow, he chose to take me with him, and then the questions came:

" _...What kind of name is Rogue?" That was what he asked._

" _I don't know." I actually shrugged at that. "What kind of name is Wolverine?"_

" _My name's Logan."_

" _Marie..."_

It was until the name left my mouth that I realized what I'd just done. I also realized that I hadn't fully left the old me in Meridian. Even if I no longer had my parents, my old life, I didn't fully lose myself; deep inside I was still Marie.

Even then, I decided I'd rather most people call me Rogue. That was the name the power in my skin gave me. And that gift/curse I had was all most people saw of me anyway. The same people who, even being mutants themselves, still feared me, gave me a wide berth even when I was covered from neck to toe. Only those who'd been able to see beyond that, to see me, could call me by my birth-name, the name I kept in my heart. There were only two people: Logan and Silbhé, but that was enough.

Logan hadn't stayed long, but I'd known all along that he wouldn't. He'd saved me, and not just because he'd given me his power, allowing me to heal, at risk to his own life; he'd been there for me, when no one else was. He supported me, motivated me, became my anchor when we hadn't known each other for more than a day... it was almost like we were connected, deep inside, our very souls...

He left, but I knew that didn't mean he was leaving me. No, he was just trying to find himself. He'd return one day, I knew that, and not just because he'd left me his tags, promising to return for them; no, he would come back for me, I knew it, it was an instinct...

Silbhé was a whole different case. When I first approached her, as she sat on that stone bench, in the rose patch, she looked so peaceful, and that drew me in. There had been so many people inside the mansion. All the students were in awe about me, about the white streak in my hair and what it represented, and while I'd chosen to keep it, to show it off like a scar, like a symbol of the fact that I'd survived... I still didn't like that it was something else that made everyone talk about me, even as they kept away from me.

So after Logan left I decided I needed some peace and quiet, and decided to take a walk. Bobby tried to approach me, but I couldn't help but feel unsettled by him. I knew it hadn't been him, the one who'd said those words, the ones that made me leave Westchester, making me feel I had to run (and the reason I ended being caught by Magneto and his Brotherhood); still, I couldn't help but think about that whenever I saw him. Also, I knew he was only approaching me as a way of one-upping his friends, proving he was brave because he approached the girl with the poisonous skin... it was absolutely ridiculous! Maybe if things had been differently, if I'd been alone in the wake of Logan's leaving, I'd have gone to him, taken a chance... but as it was I soon had found another friend, one who needed no bets, no childish games to choose to be my friend. I might wonder at times how different things might have been if I'd chosen differently that first day; but I'll never regret the life I've lived.

So I approached her, the beautiful girl in the garden, and in her company I found more than just peace and music. I found a friend, a sister... when she first touched my skin I nearly screamed. It actually took me several seconds to realize nothing was happening, she wasn't weakening, and I wasn't getting anything. It was as if she were completely immune to me... I couldn't quite let go of her for the rest of the afternoon. Human contact, after so long, and a touch that didn't hurt, not me (not like when Magneto touched me) and not anyone else (like with David, and Logan).

I moved into her room the next day. My roommate seemed quite happy about it, she'd never been fully comfortable sharing a room with me. I didn't care what she thought. The first thing I noticed when we finished moving (it took a while as we needed help getting another bed into the room, as it'd been a single, though Silbhé didn't care that she'd no longer have the space to herself, and Dr. Grey was very accommodating, helping us move things around with her telekinesis) was the gray cami and short set, with 'Angel' in dark red letters at the front.

"Are those pajamas?" I couldn't help but ask, confused.

"Consider them a gift." She told me with a smile.

That was all she said, it was all she needed to say, really, a set of pj's consisting of a thin-strapped camisole and short-shorts? It was a reminder of all the freedoms I had while in our room. That room became my sanctuary. While inside I didn't need to have my gloves on, I didn't need to have any more clothes that I wanted to, which meant that while in there I was usually in short-shorts and tops, nothing else.

There were other benefits too. The bedroom was quite big (we each had double beds, instead of the twins most students slept on), we had an en-suite bathroom, our own closet each; we also shared a vanity and there was a small balcony.

The fact that the bedroom was located in the fourth floor of the North Wing (the area where the teachers slept) alienated me a bit, though certainly no more than my skin. I didn't mind, the freedom I found while inside that room meant so much more to me than whether my classmates wanted to hang out with me or not.

Logan might have saved my life, Professor Xavier might have given me a place to live and to study; but it was Silbhé who turned that place into a home...

Even then, it took me two more weeks before I felt confident enough in our friendship, in myself, to reveal what had been bothering me from the very start.

"They're in my head." I blurted out, the whole speech I'd prepared all morning deserting me the moment I was actually sitting beside her in the rose garden.

"What...?!" She obviously wasn't expecting that and didn't quite know what to say.

"They're in my head." I repeated, then, clarified. "Logan and... and Magneto. It's been a month since what happened in that Island and they're still in my head, and no matter how hard I try, they just won't leave!"

"In your head..." Silbhé repeated, seemingly thinking it over. "You mean, what? Their current selves, memories, consciousness? What exactly?"

"I... I think that when they touched me I might have taken more than just their powers from them." I finally admitted, almost under my breath. "Their memories, some of their thoughts. There are even times when I can almost hear them reply to something, like they're inside my head and reacting to the things I say and do..."

"Are they doing that right now?" Silbhé sounded more intrigued than worried for some reason. "And if so, what are they saying?"

"Right now it's less their voices and more impressions. Like the part of Logan that's inside me is telling me to trust you, while the part that is Magneto thinks no one should be trusted, no one other than myself."

"I suppose that's logical, going by what little I know from those men. I suppose it is possible that, being mutants, you took more from them than just a human; that them being different allowed for something more..."

"But why?! I mean, with David, and with those men who got to close and even the one that tried to hurt me before I met Logan, I got their energy, sometimes the murkiness or even the darkness of their thoughts and feelings, but nothing more. Even David, whom I hurt more than anyone else before or after, the sense of him was gone long before he even woke up!" She took a deep breath. "Even when I borrowed Logan's powers that night, when we had that accident in his room, I only had his instincts for a little while. And then the island happened. First Magneto gave me his powers so I could operate the machine, and then Logan gave me his to save my life..."

A glint appeared suddenly in Silbhé's eyes, making them look greener if only for a moment.

"What is it?" I asked her, intrigued.

"I think you do know the difference, or a part of you does at least." She pointed out. "Haven't you noticed it? When you speak about David, and about the first time you got Logan's power, you say you 'took' from them. When you talk about the island, you speak about them 'giving' the powers to you. That's the difference."

"It cannot be that simple, can it?"

"I think it can. I mean, it's like the difference between me stealing something, or even just borrowing without permission, and someone gifting that same thing to me. The first... it will always go back, sooner or later, the second..."

"So what...? You think I'll be keeping their powers for good now?"

"I don't know... I thought we were talking about thoughts and impressions here..."

I took a deep breath, it was the part I hadn't mentioned yet, though it was probably quite obvious already, so I extended a hand to her. A second later the stone traversal flute was floating right between both of us. It wobbled a bit, and it took considerable effort, but I managed to hold it up until Silbhé pushed her shock down enough to snatch the instrument from the air.

"So I guess that answers that question." She said with a light shrug.

I said nothing, waiting for her to say something else, anything else, yet she didn't.

"Is that all?" I asked, voice a bit sharper than I originally intended.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked me, seemingly waiting to see what I would do next.

"Aren't you afraid of me?!" I snapped, I tried to keep my temper in check, yet with Wolverine bristling inside my head and Magneto feeding my own paranoia, it was hard. "I have the powers of a terrorist, and his voice whispering in the back of my mind!"

"Whatever powers you might be able to wield, whatever voices might whisper in the back of your head, I believe you're still yourself Marie. And..." She hesitated for what seemed like a long while, though it couldn't have been more than a handful of seconds. "I don't think the Magneto in your head would push you into doing anything nefarious anyway."

"What makes you so sure?" I knew I was missing something, something big, but I had no idea what it could possibly be.

It took almost a full minute for her to answer, I could see Silbhé opening and closing her mouth several times, her expression shifting as she tried to find the right words to say... something. I had no idea what was running through her mind in that moment, though an instinct told me it was important, very much so. Still, when her next words came, and the consequences they had, nothing could have ever prepared me for any of it.

"Telepathy is not as much of a one way street as most people would believe, you know?" She blurted in what seemed like a complete non-sequitur.

"What do you mean?" I didn't understand.

"I already explained to you about my sealed memories." She elaborated. "All we know about them, we do because I had a number of sessions with Professor Xavier. He went into my mind and examined my memories in detail. Compared the things I'd mostly forgotten during the years the cancer kept making me sick from the time I was four and until I was nine, to the memories that were locked, starting when I was eleven... it took several sessions to realize all those memories were still there, that I didn't forget them, didn't block myself, and that it was a different energy keeping them under lock and key..." She took a deep breath, before finally throwing the bomb. "What most people don't realize, is how deep into my mind Charles needed to go to see all that, to understand it. And that going that deep inside... it didn't just affect me. Some of his own memories, the strongest, slipped through the connection, from his mind into mine."

"You've seen the Professor's memories?!" I wasn't expecting that.

"A few, not many. No one but him knows, and I think even he doesn't realize how much I really understood from those few memories... I don't know if the intensity was part of the original memory, a consequence of the time that's passed since, or if I'm empathic somehow as well... but I could feel everything, deep inside. I'm sure you have too..."

"Cuba..." I didn't even need her to say it, I knew. "You're talking about what happened in that beach, in Cuba, in 1962..."

"I know what Magneto did to you." She said for all answer. "But do you think that Erik would ever push you to do anything that might hurt you, that might hurt Charles?"

The answer was no, and we both knew it; yet she seemed to be forgetting a very important detail:

"He's not Erik anymore..." I began.

"I think he still is." She interrupted me quietly. "He may have forgotten for a little while, but deep down Magneto is still Erik Lehnsherr; just like the Professor is still Charles Xavier... They just need to be reminded of that fact."

I didn't need her to tell me who it was that would be doing the reminding, that part was obvious enough; though I still had no idea how we were supposed to achieve that.

 **xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

It was another month after the brutally sincere talk between the two dear friends before they decided to go see Professor Xavier. Silbhé arranged for a meeting. It was easy, the Professor spent a lot of time in the fringes of the hazel-eyed girl's mind, for a variety of reasons. The most important ones was that, while not totally silent, Silbhé's mind was different enough from the majority of them (of human and mutant both) that Charles Xavier found a degree of solace in it; also, she was one of few who didn't seem to mind if he read her. Most of the people he knew, even mutants, even those who'd known him for years, seemed to feel somewhat uncomfortable if they knew he was reading their minds, if he happened to reply to a question they hadn't asked... the way Silbhé saw it, reading minds was part of Charles's nature, and who was she to try to deny him a part of himself?

"Silbhé..." The telepath received the youngest of his teachers, before turning his eyes to the other girl to step inside. "Rogue..."

"You may call me Marie if you wish, Professor." The brunette told him kindly.

"Of course Marie." The Headmaster smiled, taking the words as the offer of friendship they were. "Be welcome, both of you. Take a seat. Now, how can I help you?"

For all answer Rogue pulled off one of her gloves, before very slowly and purposefully placing her hand over Silbhé's own.

"You're aware that I can touch Silbhé without hurting her." Marie said, it wasn't a question.

"Yes." The telepath had seen it in Silbhé's mind.

He didn't exactly spy on her, though there were things that were just important enough to her that he couldn't help but know. They were both aware of that. Charles had known that the two girls had formed a tight bond, the dearest of friends; he'd also picked up on the fact that they could touch without anyone being hurt, which was why the request to have Rogue move into Silbhé's room hadn't surprised him, even though others couldn't understand it. He also knew that couldn't be all they were there to tell him, so he waited...

"I... I don't know how to explain..." Marie admitted after almost a full minute in silence.

"Would you rather show me?" The professor offered.

He was prepared for a refusal, he knew how self-conscious teenagers could be. What he wasn't expecting though, was Marie's acquiescence, or the fact that she took his offer in a different way than the one he'd meant. Before the telepath had a chance to touch the young mutant's mind, he suddenly saw the elegant 'X' shaped sculpture, which he sometimes used as a paper-weight, floating several inches above his desk. It was made of stainless steel... it'd also been shaped by none other than Erik Lehnsherr in the Fall of 1962, before so much went wrong... Even then it took him a handful of seconds before he fully realized the implications.

"This isn't you?" He asked Silbhé, just to be sure, though he already knew the answer.

"No." Silbhé answered, knowing exactly why he asked.

The Professor turned to face Marie then.

"You still have his power." Was all he seemed to be able to say.

"I still have his power." Marie confirmed. "And not just his, Logan's too."

They weren't going to show him the proof of that, though they had, in fact, tested it themselves. She didn't heal as fast as Wolverine did, not even as fast as she herself had, right after he'd given her his power; but Silbhé had a feeling that wasn't because her version of the power was weak, but rather because it was still developing inside her.

"It's been two months, and you still have their powers." The Professor stated, as if trying to convince himself of the truth of his statement by saying it out-loud.

"They're growing." Rogue revealed. "Two weeks ago I could barely raise small things, had a problem holding object with lesser magnetic properties, like platinum and the like, for more than a handful of seconds. But I'm improving every day. The same with Logan's abilities... well, the healing thus far. I haven't developed any claws... not yet at least."

She wasn't sure how she felt about that, if she was afraid at the prospect, or anything at all; she guessed all she could do was wait.

"I think... it's like someone who receives a piece of a liver in a donation, or someone who has a piece of theirs taken..." Silbhé began practically babbling, nervous at the silence that Marie's declaration had left. "Just like the liver regenerates... it's like the piece of power that Magneto and Wolverine gave her that day in Ellis Island is growing rather than disappearing. She's made their mutations her own..."

"That's why you waited to come to me with this." Charles realized. "You were making sure they weren't disappearing."

The two girls nodded.

"Well, you seem to have a good idea of how things are working." The Professor stated. "I'm afraid I don't know of anyone who might have had such a mutation before. I mean, there have been those who can imitate others; Mirrors, they are called, or mimics, depending on the nature of their power, and how perfect they can be. However, I'd never heard of anyone who could make the gifts of others, their own..." He took a deep breath. "So, how can I help you then?"

"We have a theory." Marie explained. "We think that there's a difference, between when I take powers, steal or borrow them; and when they're given to me. In the first case, I can use them for a little while, and I don't get to keep them. In the second... well, you've seen."

"Of course, E... Magneto gave you his power in Ellis Island, and then Wolverine as well." Xavier was easily able to follow the girl's logic. "And the other part...?"

"We've tested it." Silbhé admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

"We knew St. John and Bobby were doing some dares, along with some of the other boys, to see who was willing to touch my skin, and who might last longest." Marie admitted, not the slightest bit ashamed. "I took advantage of that to take some of their powers. I didn't hurt anybody. Their powers never lasted more than a few minutes, half an hour at most."

"I see..." The Professor nodded. "While I cannot condone taking risks with your powers, I realize no one was hurt. I still do not see how I might be able to help you."

"Well, we still haven't fully tested the other side of the theory." Rogue explained, suddenly shy. "We think that I still have those powers because they gave them to me, but we don't know for sure. Who knows? Maybe it was the trauma, or that I held on too long...? And I feel like I need to know, I need to understand the full-scope of my power if I am to be able to use it to its full potential..."

"We came to you because... well, we didn't quite to whom else to go." Silbhé admitted. "We know the way most people look at Rogue, what they think about her skin. And that's just at the possibility that she could take their powers for a little while... What will they do if they learn that she can copy their abilities permanently?"

"So you want me to help you test your theory?" Xavier went straight to the point.

"Only if you're willing, Professor." Marie told him immediately.

"I hope you realize, Marie, that being a telepath isn't easy." Charles pointed out, much more solemnly than either of them would have expected. "Even if you're able to turn it on and off at will, unlike myself. If your theory is right, you will have this potential for the rest of your life... you might come to regret it. Once you... know some things, you cannot un-know them."

"I realize that professor." Marie nodded, taking his words to heart. "I just... I need to know."

"Very well." Xavier nodded. "How shall we do this?"

For all answer Rogue extended her ungloved hand over the desk separating it, holding it there for the Professor to take at his leisure.

Charles Xavier, geneticist, Headmaster of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, and arguably the most powerful telepath in the world, knew that the moment he touched Mar... no, Rogue, her power was Rogue... he knew that the moment he touched Rogue's hand, things would change. He just had no idea how much.

It was until a fraction of a second before contact that Marie realized there was one little detail they'd forgotten to tell Professor Xavier about. But by then it was too late. Their hands touched, and everything that made Charles Francis Xavier who he was, became part of Marie, of Rogue...

**xXx**

_There's so much fear, thick and heavy like noxious fumes. There's at least a hundred missiles in the air, approaching the beach, approaching them so fast, and there's nothing that can be done, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide... and then he steps forward, body straight and strong, he raises a hand and... everything changes, and at the same time nothing does. The fear is still there, in some ways even thicker than before, except that it's not longer Them that are afraid, but the Others... because the missiles didn't just stop before hitting the beach, they actually turned around in the air, and they're being guided, straight to the ships they came from, to the Soviet and American navies... the humans._

" _Erik, you said it yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it. There are thousands of men on those ships. Good, honest, innocent men! They're just following orders." It's only after the words are out of his mouth that he realizes how wrong they are, he couldn't possibly have said a worst thing!_

" _I've been at the mercy of men just following orders. Never again!"_

_The nuclear missiles are flying straight at the ships, words fail him and, not knowing what else to do, he throws himself straight at him, his friend, his... they end up on the sand, tussling, fighting, each trying their best to subdue the other. Words are said, yelled, but neither of them is paying any attention to them, not really, each completely focused on their own goal: one, paying back the humans for their betrayal, the other, saving those he still believes to be innocent._

_A punch, and he's almost knocked out, at least dizzy enough that it takes him a while to be able to fully focus again. He vaguely hears discharges, is someone firing a gun? But who? Why? He tries to stand, and that's when everything goes wrong all over again. The pain comes so fast, and almost as fast it's gone. He's down again, unable to move, and he doesn't know why... and then he's there, but he's not. And it's all so strange..._

_There are apologies, and cries of distress from the children standing nearby, unable to approach because he's suddenly chosen to be all overprotective... his mind is brought abruptly back to the present as he hears her cry. She's choking, dying._

" _You! You did this!"_

_He looks up to see his friend, hand extended in her direction, he's choking her with her dog-tags. He wants to make her pay for firing that gun, those bullets, the ones he deflected..._

" _Please!" His voice is too loud, but it's so confusing, seeing him yet not being able to truly feel him, it's almost like his eyes have been gouged out. "She didn't do this, Erik." She may have taken the shot, but she wasn't shooting at him. "You did."_

_It's not like he wishes the bullets had found their mark, in the end, it's only an accident. He knows that, wants to say it, but it's all so confusing, he cannot focus._

" _Us turning on each other, it's what they want." He says, there's so much feeling in his gaze as he says those words, feelings impossible to truly read. "I tried to warn you Charles. I want you by my side, we're brothers, you and I." They're so much more, things for which there are no proper words. "All of us, together, protecting each other. We want the same thing."_

_Do they? And what is that same thing they want? Peace? But Peace was never an option? War? It'd destroy them? Love...?_

" _Oh my friend, I'm sorry... but we do not."_

_Events go on, but it's suddenly as if it's all a dream, the worst kind of nightmare, where you know things are wrong, and they're only going to get worse, and yet there's nothing that can be done to change it. Because it's all said and done already, and while they hold onto each other as long as they can, in the end they know they must let go. Whatever may happen in the future, truth they've both lost already..._

Two pairs of eyes, one forest-green, the other ever-changing hazel snapped open in unison, cries drowned in throats even as the two young women panted in unison. The hand of one of them went to her back, the other's to her head, each looking for something that wasn't really there (a scar, a helmet) that had never been. It took them almost a full minute to fully process what they'd just seen, experienced, and by the time they did they were both crying...

"Oh my god..." The brunette, green-eyed, sixteen-year-old Marie is the first to be able to speak, and even then her words are barely understandable with the sobbing she's still doing.

"I knew... intellectually... I knew things had gone horribly wrong... in that spirits-forsaken beach but..." The auburn-haired, hazel-eyed, eighteen-year-old Silbhé babbled as she pressed a palm against her forehead, trying against all hope to clear her head from the heart-wrenching tragedy she'd just witnessed (and pretty much experienced) moments ago. "I thought I knew but..." She felt like she might be sick. "Oh spirits!"

"We need to talk to the Professor." Marie was the first to manage to string a coherent thought.

"What...?" Silbhé had trouble following her logic.

Marie might have been younger, but thanks to her own power she'd managed to adapt to the intricacies of being a telepath; which probably allowed her to recover from the mess of the dream/vision/memory they'd just shared faster than Silbhé.

"Things went so wrong all those years ago... but we know it wasn't their fault, of either of them." Marie pointed out.

"Yeah." Silbhé agreed with that one wholeheartedly.

"We know, but they don't." Marie explained.

Silbhé understood it then. They'd made mistakes, but didn't fully realize it, they didn't because they each only had one half of it, of the events, the feelings, the thoughts. Marie had it all, and through her, so did Silbhé. They knew, understood, in a way no one else did.

"We need to go see the Professor." The older girl agreed.

**xXx**

It didn't occur to them just how early it was, even as they slipped robes over their sleeping clothes and slippers on their feet; not until they were standing right outside Professor Xavier's study, and could see the man approaching them, moving his wheelchair slowly in their direction.

"Oh..." Silbhé breathed out. "It's not dawn yet."

"We're so sorry professor, we hadn't realized the time." Marie added.

"That's quite alright girls." He assured them softly. "I was already up, and it feels like you have something important to share."

"We do." Silbhé nodded solemnly. "Though I think this exchange should happen in private."

"Of course," He agreed immediately. "Lets go inside."

It took very little effort for Marie to tap into Magneto's powers to open the door to the study, letting Charles lead the way... the Professor, the dream/vision/memory made them think of him as Charles rather than just the Professor.

"Very well girls, you have my full attention." He told them.

Marie and Silbhé turned to look at each other for a handful of seconds; no words were said, not even mentally, before the younger of the two turned to face the telepath.

"First of all." Marie hesitated, unsure of herself, of her words, but pushed through. "There's something we... I... something I didn't tell you. When I touch people... I don't just get their energies and powers... I also get other things. Like their thoughts, impressions, feelings... their strongest memories."

Charles was speechless, all he could do was stare at the sixteen-year-old before him. He'd a feeling he knew where she was going with her speech, at least to a point... still, he waited.

"I've seen your memories." Rogue admitted quietly. "Of Cuba... that beach... that awful day in 1962... I've seen your memories of it and... and I've also seen his..."

"His...?" The telepath knew what she meant, but he just needed to hear her say it anyway.

"Erik's." Rogue confirmed.

And the mere fact that she was calling him Erik, rather than Magneto, was telling, in more ways than most people would realize.

Charles could feel the tears gathering in his eyes, at the memory of that awful day, at the evident distress those memories had caused, not just in Marie but also in Silbhé. And yet there was more, there had to be, and he needed to know.

"I need you to read my mind." Marie blurted out suddenly. "I need... there are things you need to see, that you need to understand. Things that happened that day that you don't know..."

"I remember that day with perfect clarity Rogue..." Xavier's voice sounded a bit rough as he admitted that.

"Yes, but those are your memories." She reminded him. "There are things you don't know..."

He understood it then. She wanted him to see, not his own memories, but Erik's. She believed there was something there he didn't know, something important; and while Charles couldn't fathom what that could possibly be, he just loved Erik so much, always had, always would, and he knew he'd never ignore a chance to see, to know a little more of the man that has been his dearest friend, who could have been more if only the world hadn't been so against it, so against them from the very beginning.

Neither of the people in the room fully realized it, but as the contact was made, it was actually less the Professor reading Rogue's mind, and more Marie pushing the memories at him. And then all three of them were swallowed by it all.

_A thirty-year-old Charles stepped out of the wreckage of the first Blackbird and into the Cuban beach slowly. He was swaying a bit, his head still half-lost in the phantom pain caused by the German coin Erik had put through Shaw's neck. His throat was still raw from the screams he'd been unable to hold back. Moira, even as she followed after him, looking around nervously, she kept a worried eye on him. She didn't know what had happened, but she'd heard him scream and knew it couldn't be anything good._

_Erik emerged from the remains of the submarine right then, looking imposing as he floated down to the sand, carrying the corpse of Sebastian Shaw (Klaus Schmidt) before eventually letting him fall before the members of the Hellfire Club; who stood there, watching from one side, while his and Charles's students stood on the opposite._

_There had been fights, and the students had won; but victory hadn't been definite until right then, until the moment everyone realized that Shaw was dead. It was over, they'd won... except it wasn't over just yet._

" _Today our fighting stops!" Erik called, full of conviction. "Take off your blinders brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there. I feel their guns, moving in the water. Their metal targeting us. Americans, Soviets, humans. United in their fear of the unknown. The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants!" He turned to face Charles, who'd gone to stand just a few feet from him at some point. "Go ahead Charles, tell me I'm wrong."_

_Charles wanted to, how he wanted... it'd actually taken him a few seconds to gather his wits and focus his telepathy properly, and by then there was nothing he could. Even at his best he'd have been hard pressed to manipulate that many minds, to keep all their weapons from being fired... in his condition it was simply impossible. And then there was no denying it, not with the missiles in the air and going straight for the beach... Moira had gone back to the radio to try and stop the disaster from happening, but even before she'd moved Charles had known it was already too late. Their decision... the humans' decision had been made, it was the mutants' turn:_

_When the missiles first stopped in mid-air, Charles had a moment to feel elation, absolute elation at what he's witnessing filled him. He always knew Erik had great potential, yet hadn't expected to witness it, and in such a way... and then the missiles began turning around..._

" _Erik, you said it yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it." He tried to find the words, the right ones, to make Erik rethink his actions; instead he ended saying the worst thing he could possibly have. "There are thousands of men on those ships. Good, honest, innocent men! They're just following orders."_

" _I've been at the mercy of men just following orders. Never again!"_

_After those words Erik's response was probably to be expected; also his nonverbal reaction, as the missiles shoot faster in the direction of the navies, the humans._

_Years later, and even with hindsight on his side, Charles will wonder how things went so wrong on that beach. Was it the coin through his (Shaw's) brain? The helmet blocking him from one of the brightest minds he'd ever known? The fear felt by everyone around him? Even years later he just didn't know for sure... maybe he didn't want to. Perhaps he was just too afraid to realize that it might have been his fault after all._

However, in that moment it was different, as the vision gave the older Charles, gave all of them, something that even near 40 years of time and perspective never could have: the other side of things, Erik's side.

_Erik's mind was always a minefield at the best of times, and yet that was just the outer-layer. A darkness and violence the mutant seemed to keep with him, to wrap himself in as a shield, for both his mind, but more importantly his heart. Charles had begun chipping away at it almost from the start. He'd known it, in the moments during their road-trip, in between recruitment, when Erik had ever so slowly begun opening up to him... in the moment they'd shared on that terrace, just before Erik found his place between Rage and Serenity, when they'd both shed tears at the most beautiful, most cherished memory of Erik's past..._

_Charles had been so hopeful in that moment, so in love... and then the president's address, the chess game they never finished, the conversation that went so wrong... maybe if he'd tried harder, if he'd explained to Erik that he didn't intend to stop him from killing Shaw. That he was afraid... not of Erik, but for him, at the prospect of something happening to the other mutant, that they might lose each other, either to Shaw, his minions, of Erik's own rage..._

_In that moment there was no rage in Erik's mind, though. He might have expressed such feeling regarding humans, but what he felt in that moment wasn't really anger, it was fear, it was blind panic... The image of his mother in the center of his mind, trembling and in dark-clothes, as she'd been the last time Erik laid eyes on her, seconds before he failed to move a coin and Herr Doktor Schmidt had put a bullet between her eyes. Only it was no longer his mother that he saw; his mind was conjuring other terrors: Charles, Raven, every single one of the children, those with them and those too young to join the fight, who would one day, hopefully, be their students... Erik could imagine each of them in his mother's place, falling victim to another's hate. To a bullet... or to a missile..._

_Those images kept spinning in his head, like a broken record, as he fought Charles, who was so desperately trying to stop him from achieving his goal. Blind to Charles's own fears: the start of a war they could never win (because they're so few still, so untrained, they're just not ready to make a stand yet...); and then there was a more personal fear, what so many deaths might do to him, especially when the phantom pains from Shaw were making it next to impossible to shield, or to focus._

_Erik knew he was losing Charles, as they fought, as he kept doing his best to eliminate the humans; but he'd already decided he'd rather his dear friend, his only friend, hate him and live; than risk the chance of him dying, of all the children dying as well..._

_Charles kept fighting, reaching for the helmet on Erik's head, Shaw's helmet, whenever he got the chance. He wasn't actually sure if he wanted the helmet to come off. Would he just try to talk to Erik, to convince him? Or would he decide the risk was too great and simply turn his powers on Erik? He was so out of it there was no way of knowing for sure what he'd have done._

_A punch. Hard enough to make Charles stop. Stop moving, stop fighting. Erik took advantage of the opportunity, leaving Charles on the ground and rising to his feet, turning all his focus on the missiles. He'd lost a few, but most could be guided back to their paths easily enough._

_Then came the bullets. The first shot ricocheted off his helmet, and Erik probably would never know if Moira was truly that bad of a shot (though it didn't seem likely, he'd seen her practice while in Westchester) or if all along she'd intended the shots to be nothing more than a way to take his mind off the missiles. With the element of surprise gone it was easy enough for him to deflect the bullets as they came. They each hit the sand at his feet until one..._

_Even with all the perspective in the universe it would probably be impossible to tell why he chose to deflect that particular bullet in a different direction that the other ones... just like it would be impossible to know for sure what made Charles decide it was a good idea to get up in that exact moment. Maybe he'd been intending to stop Moira, to try his hand at stopping Erik, again... maybe even he hadn't known, and was just following instinct, like everyone else._

_Three things were certain though: Moira took another shot, Erik deflected the bullet, and it hit Charles's spine._

_Charles's memories of the following minutes were at the same time devoid of any sound, probably a side-effect of the trauma of his phantom headache, the bullet to the back, compounded by the way his wounded mind kept reaching for his other half, hitting a mirror, a dark cold mirror that almost hurt more than everything else put together._

_Erik's side of those minutes was another matter entirely, the mix of horror, guilt, grief... the moment when the missiles fell, some sinking into the sea, others exploding in the air; it wasn't because he'd chosen to let them fall, Erik had simply forgotten about them. They'd ceased being important the moment he heard Charles's cry; the moment the telepath hit the sand nothing else mattered anymore._

_Erik apologized over and over again, but Charles wasn't listening, he was too lost in the pain, in all the forms it took in that moment and then..._

" _You! You did this!"_

_A weak cry, more like a whine left Moira's mouth as the dog-tags tightened around her neck, the moment Erik turned his powers on her, blaming her for the bullet that had pierced Charles's back. He'd already taken it out, but there was just no way of knowing how much damage it'd already done; Erik's deflection had only added to its speed and energy, making it go through the suit Hank had designed..._

_When Charles spoke, his memories had him almost screaming, though reality was quite different, his voice had been so quiet the words could barely be heard._

" _Please!" He hurt, so very much. "She didn't do this, Erik." He kept trying to touch his friend's mind, but he just couldn't and that hurt, more than his back, more than his head, it hurt him deep inside, heart and soul. "You did."_

_Erik didn't know what was going through Charles's mind; he was so immersed in his own guilt and horror and grief, he completely forgot about the helmet still on his head. All he heard were the words Charles had managed to say out-loud, and the meaning they took in his own brain was entirely different. His friend, his... Charles, blaming him..._

_Erik finally let go of Moira, who dropped to the sound, gasping. Instead the blue-green eyed mutant turned his whole attention to the blue-eyed one in his arms._

" _Us turning on each other, it's what they want." He said, his eyes filled with so much feeling he just cannot properly put them into words. "I tried to warn you Charles. I want you by my side, we're brothers, you and I." They were more than friends, more than brothers, and could be even more still, if only they had the chance... "All of us, together, protecting each other. We want the same thing."_

_The same words were in both of their heads, silent screams neither of them could hear: I WANT YOU... I NEED YOU... I LOVE YOU... PLEASE..._

_Charles didn't know, he was deaf and blind, and Erik didn't realize it, then it was too late:_

" _Oh my friend, I'm sorry... but we do not."_

_It was the end, an end they'd both been fearing from the very start... and yet, even knowing it was over, they continued holding onto each other for a second, an eternity..._

The vision/mixed memory broke, almost shattered like so much glass, right as the young Erik finally let go of the young Charles, as the older Professor X pulled away from the psychic contact, allowing the two girls to return to reality as well.

"Oh Erik..." He breathed out, tears falling down his face.

Charles Xavier was crying, like he hadn't cried since the day he'd given up on his last hopes for Erik, for himself, for what they could have been... except, maybe he'd given up too soon. It took a while, but eventually the Professor managed to compose himself enough to remember he wasn't alone in his eyes, and he turned his eyes to the two young women sitting on the other side of his desk. Neither spoke at first, but he could see it in their eyes, the revelation of that memory was just the start. Silbhé and Marie had a plan, and it was going to change everything...

**xXx Silbhé's POV xXx**

It seemed almost providential, it was Saturday. Few people knew it but every Saturday afternoon, Professor Xavier visited Erik Lehnsherr in the plastic prison that had been built just for him. I was the one who drove him there, who waited for him just outside the cell for an hour, and then drove him back to Westchester. The reason? No one else understood why the Professor refused to give up on 'Magneto', why he still called the other man Erik, called him friend.

I would be the first to admit I didn't know, didn't understand everything; but one thing was clear to me: Charles Xavier would never give up on Erik Lehnsherr. There was also the fact that he deserved to have someone support him, even if that someone didn't fully understand the reasons; and I was quite willing to be that someone; how could I not, after everything the Professor had done for me? He'd given me a job, a home; if it weren't for him I would have never met Marie, my friend, my sister...

The three of us had sat in his office for most of the morning, discussing the implications of what had been revealed in the mixed memory that had formed when the piece of Magneto and the piece of the Professor inside Rogue had combined.

Even as she helped us make plans, Marie had admitted she just wasn't ready to forgive Magneto for what he'd done to her. She was confident she would one day. Knowing what she did about him, about his past, and then after having gained the Professor's perspective over most of those things; it'd allowed her to see beyond what Magneto had done to her, to see through the facade the leader of the Brotherhood put up, and to the man Charles Xavier had first met off a beach in LA, the man who'd helped create the first generation of X-Men, the man who'd been (and still was) Charles's whole world (as much as Charles was his).

We arrived to the federal prison soon enough. If the guards were surprised when I stayed by Charles's (my uncle, according to the 'fixed' records we used to justify my presence there) side instead of going to sit on a side as usual, no one said anything. Charles looked at me briefly as the officers frisked me, though still he didn't say word; he'd said all that needed to be said in the car:

" _Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked, not for the first time since we'd left the study._

" _Really Charles..." It'd been a sort-of wordless agreement, Marie and I could call him by his given name as long as we weren't dealing with school-business or in the presence of the rest of the faculty. "Just how many times are you planning on asking the same question? Are you waiting for me to say no?"_

_He didn't answer me, but I strongly suspected that was the case. What we were doing (or about to do), Charles wanted it so much, had wanted it for so long, that the mere fact that it was finally happening, terrified him. He'd allowed fear to hold him back for almost five decades, and it seemed like he didn't quite know what to do when it was finally happening. His insecurities were so great, he needed reassurance (which was absolutely ridiculous, he was the teacher, the mentor, as well as much older and more experienced than me, or Marie!)_

" _I'm afraid that if you're looking for someone to tell you you're insane, hopeless and naïve... well, it's not like you actually need anyone to say it." I half-smiled at him at that, before going on. "Still, if you're looking for someone to tell you to force you or something, to try and make you change your mind, you're looking at the wrong girl, professor."_

" _And why is that?" He asked, intrigued at my choice of words._

" _Because if I had the kind of love you do..." I let out a sigh. "If someone looked at me, and loved me, like Erik Lehnsherr loves you, like you love him... I would never give that up. And I wouldn't let anything or anyone in this world, or any other, stand in my way."_

_It was insane, I knew that. Erik Lehnsherr was no innocent, all the opposite in fact, Charles's polar opposite. The telepath was so endlessly positive, almost hopelessly so; and Erik... he was a realist to the core, as well as somewhat pessimistic. His hands were drenched in so much blood... But that didn't matter, because those two still loved each other; they had almost from the moment they'd first laid eyes on each other, surrounded by wild, dark waves..._

I returned to the present as one of the guards pointed at the object I kept in the inner-pocket of my denim jacket. I pulled it out, revealing my dizi.

"You cannot take that into the cell, miss." He told me gruffly.

"Please," I scoffed, adopting a somewhat arrogant demeanor. "I'm perfectly aware that it is forbidden to take anything metal, particularly anything magnetic into that cell. Do you take me for a fool? This flute is made of stone, not metal. Also, I'll have you know jade has no magnetic properties whatsoever."

Something in either my words or my attitude convinced them... either that or they simply didn't care enough, they allowed me through, instrument still in hand.

I was pushing Charles (in the plastic chair specially design for those visits) down the collapsible passage that was the only way into the plastic cell, when I heard him speak, directly into my mind, voice half-curious, half-confused.

*You just lied to those men?* It probably wasn't meant to be a question, but he was confused enough to make it sound like it.

*No, I didn't actually lie.* I told him with absolute sincerity and a mental shrug. *Jade really has no magnetic properties at all.*

He didn't reply, probably waiting for the punch-line. I couldn't help it, I smiled (though I did my best to do so inwardly).

*This dizi is made of black jade.* I clarified. *Which, as it happens, has that color and name because of all the 'impurities' it has; the most important of which happens to be iron...*

He got it then, the ghost of a smile appearing in his own face.

While Rogue, due to the nature of her own powers, was capable of turning what powers she gained from others on and off, depending on what piece she focused on (which wasn't always true for the original mutants), she had enough of the abilities to be able to understand how they worked. Like the fact that Charles's telepathy focused on connecting, which made shielding thoughts harder than listening to them; and then there was Erik, who could always sense metal, the magnetism, even when he wasn't manipulating it. And then there was the tiny little detail: that the lack of magnetic metals hurt him as much as the void of the helmet did Charles...

Even if Marie wasn't ready to forgive Magneto for what he'd done to her, she didn't want him to suffer needlessly.

The original plan had been the earrings. I knew that my powers were strong enough to allow me to make them invisible and float them over the metal detectors; however, the metal they were made us wasn't very magnetic, and I feared it might only make things worse; allowing Erik to feel something, but not enough to truly help him. The dizi was the best option then, especially because, as had been proven, I had no trouble bluffing my way into the cell with it.

Erik Lehnsherr's eyes went directly to the Chinese flute the moment we stepped into his cell. Charles somehow managed to wordlessly convince him not to say a word about it. Instead the two of them went to their table, where the chessboard awaited them; while I waved at him briefly before taking a seat in a corner and beginning to play a melody on the flute.

Erik didn't know it, but with each note I was waving an illusion. It was a relatively simple one, thought extensive at the same time: two old friends sitting on opposite sides of a glass table, playing chess; while the niece played the traversal flute for them from a corner of the little room/cell. The need for such illusion wasn't immediately obvious, not until Charles waved his own fingers around, signaling to his friend the wish to have a telepathic exchange. I was connected enough to the Professor to know when their two minds touched, though not enough to actually get sucked into the exchange; not like I needed to, I knew exactly what they were seeing, the same thing Marie had showed us earlier. I also knew the exact moment the two men were finished, back in the 'real' world.

"Oh Charles..." That was all Erik said, at least out-loud, and even that was enough to express a thousand things: thoughts, regrets, love...

The surprise came when the master of magnetism turned in my direction, pulling at the flute in my hands very slightly; not enough to damage it any, or even to truly interrupt my performance.

"Thank you, Miss Canary..." He stated solemnly.

A nudge at Charles convinced him to connect our minds; not enough to allow me to read Erik's, just enough so he might pick up on the thoughts I sent (I couldn't exactly stop playing in that moment, had to hold the illusion, and for some reason music made such things easier...).

*You may call me Silbhé, if you wish.* I offered to him. *All my friends do.*

I didn't need Charles's telepathy to sense his reaction to my offer, to the word 'friend'. I knew why, Marie had shared that with me too, the fact that, in all his life, Charles Xavier had been Erik Lehnsherr's first friend; and even after almost five decades, there were less than a handful of people that he counted as friends.

*Very well, Miss Silbhé.* He bowed his head in my direction. *As I'm sure you're aware, my name is Erik.*

*It's a pleasure to meet you, Erik.* I smiled at him.

I might not have liked Magneto much, or some of the things he'd done; but I did like Erik, and felt privileged by the opportunity to become one of his friends... who knew? Maybe, with time, all the wrongs for the past forty-some years could be set right.

The man's attention returned to his oldest friend then and the two settled to play a game of chess, while mentally conversing about everything that had remained inconclusive for so long. I allowed the illusion to drop slowly, knowing there was no need for it anymore (which was a good thing, as I wasn't sure I would have been able to hold it for much longer, at least not without calling unnecessary attention onto myself). I didn't stop playing though, weaving a new melody, a new composition. It seemed right, in ways I couldn't explain with words, a new chapter in my life was beginning, and with it new melodies: first Marie's, and then Charles and Erik's. Hopefully one day I would have many more...


	2. Canary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where the X-Men (all of them) stand United (even more so than they did in canon).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part goes into X2 and I even took some dialogues from wiki quotes and re-watching the movie (there were no copies of the final version of the script anywhere, not that I could find at least). While I follow the original movie a lot, there are some serious differences, as you'll find. 
> 
> Also, enjoy the Cherik-ness! (And if you're no fan of slash... my apologies, and seriously, what are you doing here? The tags warned about the pairings I'd chosen!) For those still waiting for the Rogan (as in Rogue and Logan, rather than the other version), I promise it's coming, it's just that that pairing requires more careful a touch than Cherik (really, First-Class gave us enough fodder for that one). 
> 
> Mention of the Vietnam War is made here, though, once again I remind you that the events of DoFP for the most part didn't actually happen here. 
> 
> If anyone reading this is actually aware of the real X-Men timeline, my apologies but I'm taking it and twisting it to fit my purposes (not like the movies didn't do that on several accounts already, really, but still, though I should warn you). 
> 
> Last chapter's song: "Someone's watching over me" by Hilary Duff.   
> This chapter's song: "Mirrors" Originally by Justin Timberlake; for this one take in consideration Madilyn Bailey's cover. 
> 
> Finally, I forgot to say this before, and while those who follow the AU most likely know already, the warning goes to those reading this as a Stand Alone: every chapter begins in 1st person POV, that of the main character Silbhé/Canary. I also change POVs around, but whatever follows I warn about, so... 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

**Canary**

Music was my heart and soul, and singing the way I chose to live my life.

Time passed, slowly but surely; days, weeks, months... A routine was formed, where Marie would attend her classes during the day, while I took online classes to finish my last mastery; in the afternoon we would sit together in the rose-garden; and every other evening we'd visit Professor X in his personal study (not the one where he handled Institute-matters, but his private one), where we'd play chess (I'd learned as a child, and with some help from us and Erik's memories it didn't take long for Marie to become proficient at it too) and sometimes share a glass of wine (I wasn't much for drinking alcohol, but one was good).

I also continued driving the professor to visit Erik in prison every Saturday afternoon; Marie even joined us a few times, after deciding she'd fully moved on from the events of Ellis Island. There was even a particularly memorable occasion when the Professor had fallen ill and the two of us decided to visit Erik on our own; even if his dearest friend couldn't be there, it wasn't right for the other mutant to have to be alone (it was actually Marie's idea). No one in the school knew it, about any of it: my visits to Erik (they only knew I drove the professor), Marie's own (they'd probably think her insane), the fact that she'd forgiven the older man for what he'd done to her, or all she was capable of with her power.

It was the only thing the three of us had argued about. Charles wanted to be truthful with the rest of the mutants in the school, or at least the faculty; but we'd seen the looks some of the other mutants threw Rogue's way (because she was never Marie to them). The doubt, the nervousness, the fear; especially when, for whatever the reason, she happened not to be wearing gloves (like when we got up from bed in the middle of the night to get a midnight snack, or a cup of tea, and someone found us); the last thing we needed was for them to realize that she could do a lot more than just 'borrow' powers for a little while.

Several months after Marie's initial arrival to Westchester I'd finally become officially part of the staff as History teacher; and since getting my Literature degree I'd been put down as Jen's sub in case it ever became necessary.

At some point Marie had agreed on going on one date with Bobby Drake, it was an absolute mess. Bobby was simply too much of a child, too immature for her. Also, as she confessed to me later that night, she just couldn't stop comparing Bobby, or any other guy, to Logan. She was in love with the Wolverine, and though she feared he might never seen her as anything more than a kid, there was nothing she could (or, frankly, would) do to change it.

The other important think happened on February, shortly after my nineteenth birthday, when Marie officially became Marie Salani, my sister.

In the Fall Marie was taking junior classes, she'd also been certified in German and Spanish (thanks in part to what I'd taught her, and in part to Erik's memories in her head) and had joined me in learning Russian (which I was finally getting better at). I was teaching several classes as week (less than the other teachers, but that was mostly because there were those who doubted it was a good idea to have a nineteen-year-old as a teacher, never mind that I had three Masters and everything else (or that the first incarnation of the Institute had had a seventeen year old teaching all the sciences... Dr. Hank McCoy).

When the next huge thing came our way, none of us were expecting it.

It began easy enough. Marie had been sick with a cold and fever days earlier, I'd stayed up a night to watch over her and help with her fever; while I hadn't gotten sick, I'd had to sleep afterwards and missed a few of my classes. None of the other teachers could cover me, but the children were understanding and voted to have a make-over class on Saturday... which meant I couldn't drive the Professor to his weekly visit to the prison. Surprisingly enough, Scott Summers agreed to take over that part; though I had a feeling it might simply be over-protectiveness, after the mutant that had attacked the President, we were all on-edge, waiting to see how the government would respond to that. We'd a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

There had been a small meeting between the members of the faculty in the Professor's public study. Scott was sure Magneto was behind the attack, but that wasn't surprising, all Summers seemed to be black-and-white kind of men. The rest of us agreed that while he was most certainly capable of organizing something like that from prison; that kind of attack could only hurt mutants in the long run, and Erik was too good a tactician to make such a stupid mistake.

I didn't say a word during the meeting, while all mutant members of the faculty were welcome, the others still believed me to be too young, too 'inexperienced' to be taken in consideration. And since there wasn't anything pressing, I decided not to disabuse them of the notion. Irritating as it might be, to be seen as less simply because of my youth, I'd rather wait until a better time, a better reason, to fight them all. I knew it'd happen eventually.

It wasn't easy, to know the school was being left so vulnerable, what with Ororo and Jean going to find the rough mutant in Boston, Cyclops taking the Professor to the prison; Jen and Mark, the only remaining human teachers, no longer lived on campus. Which meant that for one night I was supposed to be pretty much the highest authority.

It was almost providential that Logan arrived when he did. I couldn't be sure how the Professor convinced him of 'playing babysitter' for one night. But at least I knew I wasn't solely responsible for all the students.

Aside from a quick introduction right before the others left, I didn't actually see Logan until that night, when he found Marie and myself having a midnight-snack consisting of chocolate-chip ice-cream with pieces of fresh strawberry and chocolate sauce; our favorite treat.

"Doesn't anyone sleep in this house?" He snarked unexpectedly.

Marie actually froze at his presence. I knew why, I could almost feel the lines tying the two of them together, pulling them towards each other... I had no idea how Logan was managing to resist though I knew Marie was only managing thanks to the intense training she'd undergone to be able to manage all three of her sub-mutations.

"Apparently not." I snarked right back, before going back to my chocolate. "Want some?"

He actually blinked, probably not expecting my response. Eventually though, he turned away from me, focusing on Marie. That also seemed to be the moment when he noticed that underneath the off-white silk-robe with the red carnations embroidered, Marie was wearing only a small cami and short-set (much like the one I'd first given her as a welcome present). I myself was wearing a knee-length, sleeveless purple nightie, with my own off-white robe with the print of a lavender tree embracing me. We were both barefoot.

"I thought you couldn't..." Wolverine blurted out before abruptly stopping himself.

"Oh... this?" Marie shifted her bare hand in the air. "I still cannot touch most people. Silbhé's an exception because her powers protect her from what I can do."

"And what kind of powers does someone call Canary, have?" He asked then, turning in my direction, intrigued.

"Not quite the kind you might be expecting." I answered him, perfectly calm. "The little children are the ones who gave me the name Canary, because I sing them to sleep, they like that. Truth is that name has nothing to do with what I can do. Also, you're quite welcome to call me Silbhé. My friends do, and you being a friend of Marie's... well you know what they say, any friend of my sister is my friend..."

"Sister?" Logan caught on that quite quickly.

"Legally and everything." Marie nodded proudly. "I'm officially Marie Salani."

For a moment he didn't say anything, though I could tell he was studying her, making sure it was a good thing, before speaking.

"Congratulations kid." He offered eventually.

He went for the fridge then and I could vaguely hear him asking about beer, and Marie's response about him being in a school... I wasn't paying any attention to him anymore. My instincts had begun screaming all of a sudden, a warning that something was very, very wrong...

Wolverine himself froze but a few seconds after I did. He tensed, and I could tell he was about to do something when I raised my hand. Marie, who was always touching a corner of my mind, understood the signal in an instant and raised her own hand before Logan (without touching him), to stop him.

I began humming then. Even after a year conscientiously training my abilities, I still needed music of some kind (whether it be singing, my flute, or even just humming) to get my powers to do anything above the most basic 'parlor tricks'.

Wolverine got even more tense when three men stepped into the kitchen, but I ignored him, trusting Marie to keep him behind the barrier I was creating around us with my illusions. They were soldiers, dressed in camo and full gear, their faces painted. Whoever they were, it was no accident that they'd infiltrated the school right then, when we were most vulnerable... it also served to remind me that the Professor hadn't returned yet, he'd never taken so long to visit Erik. Something was most definitely wrong...

The illusion-barrier worked, at least for a little while. The soldiers had just turned their backs on us and were leaving the kitchen when, abruptly, Siren's cry echoed across the mansion.

Wolverine was moving before either Marie or I could do or say anything at all; and then men began falling to his claws.

"Seal the telepathy for the time being." I instructed Marie quietly. "The last thing we need right now is for their deaths to take you down."

She knew what I meant, we both remembered the demise of Sebastian Shaw. That was one lesson that Charles had been particularly strict about; Marie was never to be in someone's head when they died if she could help it. It took a very strong person to survive something like that. It'd also happened to Jean Grey, when she was young and just manifesting, and more than two decades after the fact, she had yet to fully recover from the trauma.

Once I was sure she'd done as told, I took a deep breath, I needed to focus, I'd a duty to fulfill.

"We need to get the children out." I informed her.

She nodded, and with that we stepped out of the room and began running.

Wolverine had killed all the men who'd entered the mansion through the front door before moving on. Rogue and I ignored them before rushing up the stairs and in the direction of the North Wing, to where the little children slept. I trusted that Siren's cry, even if it'd been long since silenced, would have been enough to wake the older kids. Everyone knew what to do in case of an emergency; participation in all drills and simulations was mandatory for everyone in the school. Still, the younger children were more vulnerable, so we needed to get there, we needed to get them out.

There were more soldiers already inside the mansion than I was expecting. My hold onto my telekinesis was still a bit of touch and go, particularly without the music, but there just was no time, so I pushed myself forward, creating waves to push the soldiers away, against the walls, to knock them out whenever possible. Rogue had taken on Magneto's powers and was using them to disable their guns as well as knock out those who might try to get up again after I moved.

We got to the children's dorms in time to see several soldiers carrying a number of children. My fury was sudden and absolute, I waved my hands abruptly and the soldiers went flying, down the hall and through the window at the end, straight onto the yard (I had no way of knowing if they'd even survived the fall). Somehow I also managed to keep the children floating in place.

I was so furious in that moment I didn't stop there. By the time my conscious caught up with me all soldiers were down, some more viciously than others.

Rogue didn't say a word, she just stood there, using every metal fixture in the hall to hold the children up. She was probably about to say something about my loss of control, when Colossus came around the corner, skin covered in armor; soldiers were shooting at him repeatedly, though the darts couldn't pierce the organic metal of his mutation.

"Get down!" He yelled at us the moment he saw we were there.

Marie did, using her body to shield the smaller children in the hall.

I... while I was no longer lost in my own anger, the feeling was still simmering, just beneath my skin, I used that to force my power into compliance as I waved my hands sharply, sending the soldiers after Colossus flying against the walls, we could hear at least a couple of bones break before they were all on the ground. A part of me winced internally, but I forced myself to ignore the part of me that never wanted to hurt anyone... those soldiers were there to hurt children, my students... those children were my responsibility, at least for one night, I wasn't letting them down, no matter what.

"Can you help us?" Rogue asked, straightening up again.

For a moment Colossus could only stare at me, I knew it was what I'd done, the fact that I could do more than weave illusions replicating famous paintings, sculptures and the like. Still, he was responsible enough to push that aside and focus.

"Kitty is getting the ones on the third floor to the tunnel, with help from a few others." He informed us as he took two of the unconscious children up over his shoulders.

Not all the children had been tranquilized yet, a few were still conscious, and there were even a couple with abilities that allowed them to help us carry those who couldn't move on their own. One kid could make five replicas of himself, each with his full strength, a girl had inhuman strength, and even those whose gifts didn't help them for that were willing to group together and help however they could.

It took us a little while but we made it to the tunnels eventually. Where Shadowcat was waiting with another group of kids. She and Colossus took charge as the group went into the tunnels; with her leading the way, while he took guard at the back. He was the one who noticed we weren't following them:

"Won't you come with us?" He asked.

"You need to make sure those children get out," I told him with all the authority I could muster. "We need to make sure there's no one else left here."

"I think the soldiers have taken at least half a dozen." Colossus admitted grimly. "Kitty and I couldn't get to all of them in time. Artie..."

"If the soldiers have them, we will find them." I assured him. "Now go, those kids are your responsibility now. Get them to safety."

The young man, the same age as Marie, two years younger than myself, nodded solemnly as he straightened up, accepting the responsibility I was putting on his shoulders. It might have been wrong of me, to put such weight on him, but it wasn't like I could leave other kids in the hands of the soldiers, no way. Also, they were in the tunnels, and they all knew the plan. Vehicles were waiting, at the end of the tunnels, and a safe-house was always ready. They'd be alright. The same couldn't be said about anyone still in the mansion...

"Go!" I ordered, before pushing the panel closed again.

Rogue and I were methodical and through. Going through every floor in the mansion, from the attic down, checking every nook and cranny where children might be hiding. We guided a handful of stragglers to the tunnels, though as it turned out, Colossus and Shadowcat had done a quite through job of getting the students out (at least those the soldiers hadn't taken already).

I was beginning to think we wouldn't be finding anyone else, when none other than Pyro and Iceman practically crashed straight into us. It was only our self-defense training (while neither of us were X-Men yet, we'd started some basic training), that allowed us to move aside in the nick of time.

"Rogue!" Both boys called in sync the moment they saw us. "Miss Canary!"

"What are you still doing here?!" I demanded, while Rogue was still staring at them.

"We were looking for you." Bobby Drake stated, ignoring me and looking straight and Rogue. "We... I... we couldn't leave without you."

"That's exactly what you're going to do." Rogue stated in a tone that brokered no argument.

I only half paid attention as the two of them argued, choosing instead to approach the window to see if the sound I was hearing truly belong to what I thought it did... my suspicions were proven right and a sense of dread filled me when I saw the two military choppers that had just landed on the grounds, dozens of soldiers stepping out of them.

I reacted instinctively, focusing as hard as I could, before waving my hands sharply. A telekinetic wave hit one of the helicopters, pushing it several feet before being overturned. The other one wasn't touched. The move still wouldn't be enough to stop them, but it would probably delay them some, which was all I could ask for.

The moment I returned my focus to my own body I stumbled, crashing sideways against the wall and half-pulling at the curtains to right myself.

"Canary!" Rogue called in alarm. "Are you alright?"

"Fine... just tired." I admitted quietly.

I didn't need to tell her about the soldiers coming our way; she could see them just fine herself.

"We need to get out of here." I told her grimly. "The school is going to be overrun soon. Much as I may hate it, there's nothing we can do right now for any student that might have been taken, we're not enough. We need to regroup, talk strategy and then act."

"Yes." She agreed completely with me, at least on most of it. "We need to find Wolverine."

I didn't need her to tell me she wasn't leaving without him.

"We'll go with you!" Iceman stated from a side.

I wasn't sure if he was just being foolish, seeing the whole attack to the school as an adventure, an opportunity to prove himself, to be a 'hero'; or if he was deluding himself into believing that he still had a chance with Marie, even after the mess that was their one date. At least Pyro had the sense not to agree with him; though he didn't say anything, it was obvious by his expression that he thought his friend was crazy.

"No, you won't." Rogue spun around, touching her temple as she stared straight at the two teens.

I noticed the moment their eyes glazed, it wasn't for long, but the fact that immediately after that the two turned their backs on us and walked away was quite telling.

"Did you just...?" I couldn't even finish the question.

"The Professor won't like it, but it was necessary." She admitted grimly. "They have just enough time to make it to the tunnels before any soldiers find them. Otherwise we'd have had to argue with them, and lose much valuable time..."

Much as I didn't like mental manipulation, I had to agree with her on that one, the stakes were simply too high.

"Lets go find Wolverine then." I told her.

We finished our rounds through the school and soon enough found ourselves on the foyer again. From the corner of my eyes I noticed Rogue clenching and un-clenching her fists compulsively.

"Is everything alright?" I asked quietly, keeping alert to the soldiers approaching the manor.

"My hands are itching." She admitted, rubbing the back of one hand with the fingers of the other. "I suppose it's all the fighting. The pieces of Wolverine and Magneto keep fighting to take over; and while they seem to have pretty much the same priorities right now, the styles are too different from each other, and from me..."

I nodded, I didn't understand, how could I? I didn't have other people in my head to contend with, though at times I couldn't help but get instincts, instincts rooted in things I couldn't actually remember... like my absolute love for the black jade dizi, some of the melodies I played on it, even some of the songs I'd sung for the children...

We found Wolverine around the next corner. He was standing a few feet away from the entrance to the emergency tunnels (which was, thankfully, closed), facing off against the soldiers. Claws out and ready for a fight.

*He got here in time to close the tunnel before the soldiers could see the entrance.* Rogue whispered into my mind. *Apparently John and Bobby forgot that.*

Neither of us stopped to consider the implications, especially considering the mental-nudge she'd given them to get the two teens to leave (not like we weren't, technically, teenagers ourselves, but still). We'd other far more important things to focus on.

The next words to come out of the leader of the soldier's mouth through us all for a loop:

"Wolverine?" He somehow seemed to know who Logan was. "Well I must admit this is certainly the last place I was expecting to find you. How long has it been? Twenty-five years? You haven't changed one bit. Me, on the other hand... nature."

I didn't need much imagination to get an idea what he meant. We'd known, thanks to Wolverine's fragmented memories, that he was a lot older than he appeared; he'd lost many memories, almost everything from more than two decades prior... but not everything; there were fragments and impressions still there, and Marie had seen them all. We'd shared dreams and nightmare about them, just like we had about Erik's memories, and Charles's.

"I didn't realize Xavier was taking in animals, even animals as unique as you." The older man went on in the same self-righteous tone.

"Who are you?" Wolverine spoke next, though he didn't sound enraged, more like confused.

Rogue herself was livid, though she managed to focus enough (with some help from the part of the Professor, and possibly also Magneto, in her head, I suspected) not to reveal herself, or me.

"Don't you remember?" The other man's voice was challenging, and almost mocking as he said that, the satisfaction evident in every word.

"I don't remember..." Logan muttered coldly. "Why don't I remember?"

"Why don't you come with me?" The man offered, getting closer. "Come with me and we can talk all about it...?"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Rogue lost all objectivity, all reason, at the very idea of Wolverine leaving, or worse, being taken away, by the very people who'd attacked, invaded our home, our sanctuary, who even in that moment held at least half a dozen children... She ran around the corner, throwing herself at the closest soldier with a wild ferocity that left no doubt just whose 'personality' was in control in that moment.

I knew it was absolutely insane, yet there was no way I was leaving my sister to fight those odds, so I followed. My own response was more measured, methodical. In part because I knew we needed some sort of plan if we were to all make it out of there; on the other because I could feel the way the extensive use of my powers was affecting me. The multiple consciousness inside Rogue might be helping her, but there was no doubt in my mind that we'd both be crashing soon. I'd feel infinitely better if that happened once we were out of the mansion and preferably somewhere safe (though I'd be content enough with getting out).

I took advantage of the moment one of Rogue's wild moves tore the metal fixtures from the ceiling, to call on my most basic power, my illusions, making it seem like a piece of the ceiling had actually fallen down and was blocking their way. It wasn't easy, but once I was sure the soldiers were busy 'inspecting the damage, I pushed the tunnel open again.

"Wolverine!" I hissed at him, keeping my voice low enough for the humans not to pick up on it. "Grab Rogue, lets go."

He didn't question my words, and whether that was out of worry for Rogue, for me, or simply because he too was tiring out, I didn't know, nor did I care. I closed the tunnel behind us just a fraction of a second before I could sense something moving through the illusion I'd erected, the ruse had been found out.

By that point at least my sister had returned to her senses. Neither of us said a thing about what she'd done, how she'd acted. We needed to focus, we weren't out of danger just yet.

"We need to go." She stated, beginning to run down the tunnel.

"Not that way." I stopped her. "If those soldiers find these tunnels... we cannot allow them to follow the ones that might lead them to the children. They're the priority. We need to take another route ourselves."

I didn't need to explain myself further, she understood. Thankfully the tunnels were branched out, and the one leading actually to the outside was camouflaged, much like the entrance into the system itself had been. We avoided that, going down another path, purposefully leaving traces of the route we'd taken. Anything to keep the soldiers from finding the true way out.

"Where are we going?" Wolverine asked, seemingly confused.

Of course, he didn't know the mansion like we did... we actually knew it better than almost any other person, even better than most of the faculty. Then again, we had (Rogue had, but she'd shared a great many of them with me) memories of the man who'd been living in the mansion since before it was a school; who'd been involved in every single renovation to it... we certainly knew how to move around it.

"The garage." Rogue told him as I opened the trap door leading to said place.

We didn't bother keeping quiet as we moved through the place. The Professor's favorite car was gone (a painful reminder that something else had gone wrong that day, not just in the school itself). The easiest car to use was Scott's, something Logan seemed to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in...

We were out of the garage and the estate in a matter of seconds; still, none of us said a word until we were several miles away from Westchester...

"Who was that?" I blurted out, unable to help myself.

"Stryker, his name is Stryker." Logan mumbled as he drove, though his answer seemed almost half-unconscious.

"Who is he?" Marie asked him very quietly.

"I can't remember." He answered solemnly.

Again, my sister's hands fisted almost convulsively a couple of times, and I could see she was gripping something in one of them, the dog-tag Logan had given her before leaving the year prior... whatever was going through her mind (and she seemed to have pushed the Professor and his telepathy down hard enough I couldn't hear anything from her in that moment), it was making her even more tense than Logan was.

"Where are we going?" I asked, to change the topic.

"Storm and Jean are in Boston." Logan reminded us. "For now we'll head that way."

"We could go home..." I offered.

That called their attention.

"I thought that one was your home." Logan stated bluntly, signaling at the place we'd left.

"It is a place I love, but not my family home." I admitted with a shrug.

"And where's this family home?" He inquired.

"In the outskirts of Westbrook, a somewhat big-town, small-city twenty minutes west of Portland, Maine." I explained calmly.

"That's about two hours from Boston." He said gruffly.

"Maybe, but that's just by car." I pointed out calmly. "Jean and Ororo have the jet. My family home will also be much safer than any place we might be able to stay in Boston, or anywhere else for that matter."

"Westchester was supposed to be safe." Marie murmured quietly.

She was right, of course she was. It hurt, the attack, to think that a place we'd seen as home had been invaded, all the violence... and it wasn't over yet. It wouldn't be until we could find the children (all of them, the ones who'd been forced to run for the safe-house, and the ones who'd been taken by the soldiers), until we could make sure soldiers would never again be able to attack us like they'd done that night.

War had begun, and they'd started it... we'd have to be the ones to end it.

**xXx**

It was almost dawn when I woke up, and we were just entering Westbrook. Logan was still driving, and judging by the time we'd made I could guess he hadn't stopped at all; Marie was still asleep in the copilot's seat.

"So you're awake." He nodded at me through the rear-view mirror. "Right on time."

I nodded. I couldn't tell him that it was no coincidence, I'd woken because of where we were. I could sense that my home was close... It wasn't something I'd always been able to do, though it wasn't exactly new either. The first time I knew for sure I'd done it, was during my first visit, after officially moving to the Xavier Institute. There was something about my family home I could sense; not the building, not really, I couldn't actually pinpoint what it was exactly, but there was no doubt that I could do it.

I gave instructions to Logan and soon enough we'd gone through Westbrook and, on the other end of town, there it was, the place I'd called home for almost fifteen years (I was actually born in the UK, moved to the US after my mom died when I was three), and, even after spending two years living in Westchester, Salani manor still was my true home.

The house was empty when we entered, which wasn't exactly surprising, I knew Aunt Kathryn sometimes worked night-shifts. At forty-nine years of age she was capable of handling an all-nighter far better than most of the residents half her age, or so the people at the hospital claimed. I directed Logan to the guest-room on the second floor, before Marie and I slipped into our own bedrooms (she too had one there, even if she'd only stayed a handful of nights while we visited). We each took a shower before changing into new clothes. There were enough of my old clothes there, though I ended borrowing a pair of jeans from my aunt, as I was much too short for my sister to be able to wear mine.

I briefly considered taking a nap after we were done, but in the end I was simply too tense for that and ended going back downstairs, Marie and Logan followed not long afterwards.

I didn't say a single word as I began pulling things out of the fridge and several cupboards, and soon enough I was busy preparing pancakes (one of very few things I was actually able to cook without burning the kitchen down). Marie had busied herself making some coffee for herself and Logan, and chocolate-milk for me (she knew I didn't like coffee, she also knew the layout of the kitchen almost as well as I thanks to memories she'd picked up from me while training her telepathy, and a couple of visits we'd made since her adoption).

"Just who lives here?" Logan demanded, seeing the ease with which we moved.

"This is my place." I tried my best to explain to Logan. "My father signed it over to me officially when I turned eighteen. Kathryn Salani, my aunt, is the one who actually lives here most of the time, she's a nurse at the local hospital. This is the place where I grew up Logan."

The pancakes were done then. None of us talked as we ate, and ever so slowly I could see Logan calming down. Marie was somewhat tense still; and I could see her reaching for the chain around her neck every so often, almost like a tick; until she abruptly pulled the chain off, holding it tightly on one hand before extending it to Logan.

"I believe this belongs to you." She said simply.

I wondered if I was the only one who noticed how much it cost her to say those words.

Logan actually extended a hand, touching the dog-tag briefly; it looked like he was about to take it, but in the end he closed Marie's hand around it, pushing it against her.

"Keep it for a while longer." He told her gruffly.

I was quite sure he didn't miss the smile that graced her lips as she returned the chain to her neck, the dog-tag slipping beneath her shirt and between her breasts.

"What are we going to do now?" He asked then, looking at both of us.

"We rest," I raised a hand before either of them could interrupt me. "We rest. Logan, I'm sure you haven't slept at all; while Marie and I have slept very little, and a car isn't exactly the best place to rest. We wait for Jean or Storm to contact us," I waved my cellphone around to emphasize that. "Then we get them here, explain to them what happened at the school. We find the Professor, Scott and the children, and we deal with the situation."

I wondered what he thought about me saying something like that? Did he think I wanted to send those soldiers to jail or kill them? To be honest, I wasn't sure myself. I'd been so angry the previous night... I thought I might have killed at least one person, and was pretty certain I'd badly injured, possibly even crippled more than one. That wasn't me... I'd never imagined doing something like that, hurting people. Then again, I'd never had to fight men who I knew had hurt others, children under my care... Maybe it was some kind of motherly instinct surfacing...

I didn't realize I'd spaced out until I caught the tail-end of Logan's rant:

"... why you think Jean would think to call the number of a random student... who are you anyway?" He finished.

I couldn't help it, I snorted, even Marie chuckled quietly behind me.

"First of all, I'm not a student." I began.

"I met the faculty, and the so-called X-Men last year, when I left the kid..." Logan interrupted.

"I'm not a kid!" Marie snapped, affronted.

"You didn't meet me last year, because it wasn't relevant for you to meet me last year, Logan." I told him as evenly as I could. "I'm not a student at the Institute. I'm a teacher. Granted, I haven't been one for very long, this is my second semester teaching. Before that I lived at the school for a while, taking online classes to finish my degrees, while helping look after the youngest children. They like me singing to them, they're the ones who gave me the name of Canary. I met Marie shortly after you left. We became close friends, and eventually sisters." I took a deep breath. "Now, as to why anyone would get in contact with me. When they fail to reach anyone at the Institute, they will try to reach those who should have been there. Seeing how I was in charge of the school last-night..."

"Chuck said I was to baby-sit." Logan blurted out.

"Indeed." I scoffed. "But seeing how you're not an official part of the Institute yet, I hope you'll understand that the one officially responsible, was me."

"Why would they leave a child in charge of even more children?" He inquired, honestly curious. "Even if you've finished your education, that doesn't mean you're not young. I can see it, can smell it, you're not fully-grown yet."

I could have snorted at that, I very much doubted I would be 'growing' anymore, in the strictest sense of the word, but I knew what he meant.

"I'm not defenseless, Wolverine..." I told him in my most beseeching tone. "The children may call me Canary, but I can do a lot more than sing children's lullabies..."

With a wave of my hand there was suddenly a soldier standing in front of him, knife in hand; he threw himself straight at Wolverine, who in turn called on his claws and moved in a defensive position, only to have the soldier flicker as it went through him, before vanishing completely. I began panting as I dropped back to my chair.

"Diabhal é (Damn it)!" I cursed between harsh breaths.

"Sister!" Marie called worriedly, turning towards me. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine." I muttered between clenched teeth. "Weak as a newborn kitten..."

As overly dramatic as it sounded, I really felt like that, in that moment. I was right when I said that we hadn't truly rested, and without rest we wouldn't be able to do much, none of us.

"Alright." Marie nodded, taking charge of the situation. "So I say we go upstairs, take a nap, come together again for lunch, and then we'll discuss for definite plans, ok?"

Even Logan had to agree with that (considering he was the one with the least sleep from all three of us, even he must realize we couldn't get into another fight as we were). So we left the dirty dishes in the sink and went to get some shut-eye.

**xXx**

It was the smell of food that woke me. Italian food. I met Marie as we both stepped out of our bedrooms and we went straight to the kitchen, where we found Aunt Kathryn in what seemed like some kind of staring contest with Logan.

"Hey Auntie!" I called cheerfully as I saw her, Marie waving at her beside me.

"Hello girls." She greeted us back. "Silbhé I got your message, so I decide to order some Italian from your favorite place."

I nodded and we sat down, plates and glasses had already been set on the counter. Logan's plate was even full of food, though he'd yet to eat a bite.

"Oh, right." I grinned, sheepishly. "Aunt Kathryn, this is Logan, he's a friend of Marie's. Logan, this is our aunt, Kathryn Salani."

"I know him... somewhat." Kathryn said, and even she sounded a bit odd. "Some time ago?"

"I've told you already woman, I have no idea who this Adler chick is..." Logan began, in a tone that showed it wasn't the first time he said it.

"That's me." Our aunt clarified. "That's what I was called back then. Kathryn Adler..."

"Where do you know him from auntie?" I inquired, curious.

"Summer of 1980, Nigeria." She answered, suddenly getting very serious. "It was the only field mission I ever went on, for MI6... it was complicated, started as something in London, I was working with MI5, but then it got bigger. When they found evidence of a connection of our case there, with something going on in Africa I was asked to join the MI6 team going, so I did."

I didn't need her to say anything more, whatever had happened, it'd been bad.

"The case was never solved." She went on. "Some black ops. American team got involved and we were told it was no longer our case."

"If it was that far back I'm afraid you're out of luck, aunt Kathryn." Marie told her softly. "Logan doesn't remember anything from before twenty-five years ago... something happened to him, and he lost his memories."

"I remember one thing." Logan announced unexpectedly. "That man's name... Stryker..."

"Stryker...?" Aunt Kathryn repeated, his eyes widening as realization struck. "Do you mean Colonel William Stryker?"

"You know him?!" We all called at the same time.

"I knew him, a long time ago, back in the late eighties when I was working for SHIELD." She explained. "The man was sent to martial court, presumably after murdering General Munson, his sponsor in a top-secret project known only as Weapon X." She shook her head. "SHIELD was involved because we were tasked with dealing with fallout of the project, after an incident in Three Mile Island. The military base there was completely destroyed, several people were found dead: military, scientists and even a civilian, a woman... I cannot remember her name. There were also signs of prisoners, test subjects..." She shuddered in remembrance. "We looked for them but could never find anyone. Most of the records had been lost in whatever mess destroyed the facility, so there was nothing we could do..." She let out a sad sigh. "I spent years wondering what had happened with those people, if they'd managed to escape or if they were dead..."

"They escaped." Marie blurted out unexpectedly.

"What...?" Kathryn wasn't expecting that. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Marie nodded. "The ones kept in those cages you found, they were mutants. Weapon X was a program that experimented on mutants, trying to create perfect soldiers, or something like that. The children were rescued by the X-Men, that's why you couldn't find anyone."

Through our connection, which had reasserted itself at some point, I could see fragments of memories, Professor X's memories, which showed me what had happened exactly. I could also see the moment it all registered in our aunt's mind, the relief... After so long she finally knew what had been of those prisoners, those children...

It seemed like Logan was about to ask something else, possibly if Aunt Kathryn knew anything else about his past... but the ring of a phone interrupted us. It took me a moment to realize it was actually my cellphone ringing, and I reacted immediately. A part of me was actually wondering what exactly had taken Jean and Ororo so long to call me... though I pushed that thought aside as I answered the phone:

"Hello, Salani speaking." It was, as I thought, Jean. "Yes Jean, it's me, Silbhé..." Like expected, they'd failed to contact anyone at the manor, and the same was true for the Professor and Cyclops. "You didn't get anyone at the Institute, because there's no one left at the school... unless it's a bunch of soldiers. Yes, you heard right. Several dozen soldiers invaded the Institute sometime after midnight. I can almost think they knew we were at our most vulnerable last night, with next to no adults left, with no X-Men..." The thought had crossed my mind, and it was a grim one, just how long had Stryker and his men been planning that attack? "I talked to Piotr Rasputin earlier. Most of us managed to get out; he and Kitty Pryde are at the safe-house in New Salem with almost every child..." I swallowed, knowing I needed to give the bad news next. "Yes Ororo, I'm afraid I said almost. Nine students aren't at New Salem; Marie is here with me, and the other eight are currently missing... Who? Well, Bobby Drake and St. John Allerdyce, we know they made it out of the manor, but we have no way of knowing if the soldiers caught them before they could make it far, or if they simply missed the group evacuating. No, we didn't go with them, Rogue, Wolverine and I stayed back to make sure the soldiers wouldn't find Colossus, Shadowcat and the majority of the students... The other students missing are Jubilation Lee, Artie Maddicks, Douglas Ramsey, Tessa, Sam Guthrie and Julian Keller... No, we don't currently know where they are, we're trying to think of something. You're of course welcome to join us... We're at my family home, in Westbrook, Maine." I gave them the coordinates, which I'd memorized a while before. "There's a small airport a little bit south of here, less than ten minutes' drive, the Super Cub Field. If you engage the cloaking on the blackbird you should be able to land in a corner without anyone being the wiser... We'll meet you here in a little while then."

Everyone was looking at me when I hung up. I shrugged, at least that meant I wouldn't need to explain anything to them. They knew Jean and Ororo were on their way... and whoever they'd gone looking for.

I'd barely hung up when my phone rang again, I answered automatically, not expecting the voice that answered me on the other end.

"Hello, Salani speaking." A very official voice answered me. "Yes, I am Silbhé Salani, yes, the niece of Charles Xavier."

Logan and Aunt Kathryn both raised their eyebrow at my statement, but neither said a word. They didn't know, no one but Marie did; the things we had done, Charles and I, to make sure that, in his absence, certain people would contact me. Certain people, like those in charge of the prison where Erik Lehnsherr resided...

"I see..." I was in absolute disbelief as I heard the news, not fully paying attention to what I was saying as the greater percentage of my mind tried to fully process what was being said. "Thanks for letting me know then. I hope you'll call me if there are any further developments... Yes, I shall let my uncle know... Thank you for your service... Goodbye."

"Well...?" Everyone was looking at me expectantly.

"Max is coming." I blurted out.

All three continued looking at me, though only Marie truly reacted, her eyes widening, mouth opening just a bit; she was the only one who understood what I meant with those words...

"Did he... call you...?" She asked in turn, seemingly not sure how to word the question.

"No." I myself was having trouble finding the best way to put it. "His... landlord called. It would seem like Max's... sister went by to get him earlier today. They left quite suddenly... apparently they forgot to leave a forwarding answer."

Kathryn and Logan continued looking oddly at me, either they wondered why I was making such a big deal of someone moving out of their apartment; or they realized those words were code for something else but weren't quite sure if it was a good idea to ask what.

Marie didn't say a word, though I could see as a multitude of scenarios flashed behind her eyelids as she considered all possibilities.

"Are you sure he's coming here?" Was all she asked in the end.

"Very sure." Whether he knew already what had happened to Charles, or if he ended going by the school first and finding out the hard way... there was no doubt he'd end up right there with us sooner or later...

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, Jean and Ororo had just arrived. Aunt Kathryn went to open the door, while Marie turned to look at my cellphone and me in turn.

*You do realize things are going to get really dicey, really fast with Wolverine, Dr. Grey, Storm, Mystique and Magneto in the same room?* She switched to mental speech as she asked that.

Of course we weren't included, not even her; she'd gotten over what the Brotherhood had done (or tried to do) to her the year before, and I'd never really had any trouble with any of them; mostly I didn't understand why they were two separate groups instead of compromising and working together, which was exactly what would have to be done that day...

*We have to do it.* I said simply. *For the children... and Charles.*

*For Charles.* She agreed wholeheartedly.

Jean and Ororo entered right then, followed by a man with blue, leathery skin, black hair and a devil-like tail speaking in fast-paced German with Aunt Kathryn. I could see the distrust in the two X-Men (or women) as they stepped into the house, and it'd only get worse when our last two guests arrived.

"For Charles..." I repeated under my breath.

It was a phrase I'd to repeat to myself, at least a dozen times, over the next few hours. While Ororo was more open-minded and was willing to trust me in my aunt's trustworthiness, Jean was a whole other thing. And it didn't stop there, she actually went as far as trying to get into my aunt's head! Of course, she was the one surprised when Aunt Kathryn managed to push her outside; which gave me time to step in between the two.

"What the hell was that?!" I demanded, barely holding back from cursing in a number of languages at the redhead.

"I was trying to make sure she could be trusted." Jean replied evenly. "How can she even shield, and push me out?! She's not a mutant!"

"I was given basic training by Professor Xavier in the late eighties." Kathryn explained evenly. "My team at SHIELD came across a number of situations involving mutants and he thought it was better that I be ready, as one of the people we had to interview was Emily Silverfox."

Jean didn't say a word, she obviously wasn't convinced. I didn't care about that, I was really angry at the lack of respect she was showing for one of the two members of my family! (Technically two, as Marie was right there and Jean hadn't so much as acknowledged her).

"She's my aunt, while I'm your colleague." I stated. "If you cannot trust her simply because this is her home and she's being kind enough to receive you in it; you should at least trust me!"

Then, as if we weren't having enough trouble already, Marie's next words did it:

"He's here."

The moment Magneto and Mystique entered the sitting room where we were all standing, it was pandemonium... though probably not at a degree most would have expected. Jean began calling on a number of objects to throw at the leaders of the Brotherhood, Marie doing her best to counter her using Magneto's own power. Storm's eyes went white, but nothing was happening, aside from some clouds appearing outside, Mystique and the newcomer, Nightcrawler, were on their guard; while Magneto simply observed the situation in silence.

I could see it, everyone except Marie was having trouble using their abilities, finding them lessened, almost as if there were some kind of inhibitor, or a shield in the room, or the house... it hit me suddenly, an edge of something, a fraction of a memory, a green flash of light and a sense of protection, of safety... I didn't know what it meant, exactly, though it reinforced the idea I'd always had that there was no place safer for me than Salani manor.

In any case, I knew I couldn't really focus on that, we had things to do, and unless we could all put our differences behind and let to work together, nothing would ever get done... and innocents would pay for our failures.

 **xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

"ENOUGH!"

The word wasn't shouted, not really, and yet it was still loud and strong enough to make everyone stop in their tracks, as all eyes turned to the petite auburn-haired, hazel-eyed nineteen-year-old in an off-white wrap blouse and an ankle-length flower-patterned skirt in shades of lilac.

"That's enough, more than enough, really." She stated, quieter but just as authoritatively. "You are all going to stop trying to kill each other right now. You will calm, sit down and we will talk about things like civilized people."

"Says who?" Mystique asked challengingly.

"Says I." The girl stated, spinning around to face the blue-skinned shape-shifter.

"Who are you?" Mystique sounded more curious than affronted at that.

Truth was the shape-shifter knew better than to judge someone by their looks; after all, she was in her mid-seventies already, and her looks had changed much in the last fifty years or so... Hank... Beast had told her once that something about her mutation made her age slower than humans, even slower than most mutants (Charles and Erik were no pushovers, and they looked good for their age, but they didn't look young anymore either). So really, even if the girl looked like a teenager, that didn't necessarily mean she was one.

"My name is Silbhé Salani, it is also Canary." The hazel-eyed stated calmly.

"Canary...?" The blue-skinned one repeated. "What kind of name is Canary?"

"It's the name the children I sing to sleep gave me." The younger girl shrugged. "But that's not important. You wanted to know who am I to order you, all of you around. Well, I'm the owner of this place. This is my family home. My house, my rules." She turned to face the others. "We're all here for the same reasons: to find and save Charles Xavier and several other mutants, a group that happens to include Cyclops and at least six children. We need to find them, save them, and then deal with William Stryker in such a way that allows us all to be safe!"

"Charles will never be party to that." Magneto grumbled. "In almost fifty years, he's never allowed for retaliation, what makes you think he'll change his mind now?"

"You honestly believe that the Professor will allow anyone to get away with hurting the children, his children?" Marie inquired cheekily. "You better than most know what he's capable of."

Magneto agreed hesitantly at that.

"Now." Silbhé took charge again. "Whatever grievances you might have against one another, you will push them aside. We will sit down, and we will talk. We will work together, because Charles Xavier needs us to work together."

"And when you act against the humans, save Charles, and he looks all disappointed at you, what will you do then?" Mystique asked, half-challenging, half-hesitant.

"I will do what needs to be done, and he knows that." Silbhé answered honestly. "I understand Charles's wish for peace, and I'm all for it. Yet, it's how that saying, 'hope for the best, prepare for the worst'. This, right now, this is the worst. And I will do everything, anything, to keep me and mine safe, no matter what."

For several seconds, no one said a thing, and then it was Marie who broke the silence.

"Understand that she just claimed you all as hers." She quipped.

"And what about you?" Mystique rolled her eyes at the youngest in the group.

"I'm her sister." Marie deadpanned.

Silbhé didn't say a word, she didn't dare; and yet she knew Marie was right; they were all hers, and she would protect them, no matter what.

**xXx Canary's POV xXx**

It took some more time, but eventually everyone agreed to sit down and talk. It wasn't easy, there were those who didn't believe Marie should be part of the group, because she was too young, because she was still a student...

"Please," Surprisingly enough, it was Magneto who defended her. "In 1962 we went against Sebastian Shaw, the worst menace of that time, with nothing but three adults, that being Charles, Mystique and myself, and three teenagers who'd barely been training for a week!"

No one quite knew what to say to that.

"Why are you really here, Magneto?" Jean asked, suspiciously.

"I'm here for Charles." The old man answered simply, and in that moment he wasn't Magneto, he was Erik Lehnsherr. "I will always be here for Charles."

"You've been trying to kill him for years!" Jean called, scandalized.

We couldn't help it, Marie and I laughed.

"What's so funny?" Ororo demanded, taking offense to what, to her, seemed like callousness on our parts.

"I think that if either of them wanted Charles dead he'd have died a long time ago." Marie was quite blunt with her answer.

"How would you know that?" Ororo went from horrified to curious at the obvious confidence.

"When I touch people, I take more than just their powers." Rogue revealed. "You could say I've been in Erik's head... or he's been in mine. The point's the same."

"There's one thing that isn't quite clear to me just yet:" Jean seemed to choose to ignore Marie completely. "Magneto and Mystique came here, knowing they'd find us here, how? How did they even know about this place?"

"I told them." I didn't see the point trying to lie about it. "Several months ago, during one of our visits to the prison."

"Visits?!" Surprisingly enough it wasn't only Jean Grey crying out at that, but also Mystique.

"Charles wanted to visit Erik in prison, and no one else in the Institute supported him." I explained, for Mystique's benefit. "The first couple of months all I did was drive him to and from. That changed eventually."

No way was I explaining what we'd learned about his powers, thanks to the memories Rogue had gained, or what I'd done with the black jade flute. Erik nodded in my direction, not saying a word about any of it either.

"Anyway, I always knew we needed to have contingencies in place." I went on. "That included a secure location where we could meet in case of an emergency... and so here we are."

"Almost sounds like you were expecting an attack..." Logan commented gruffly.

"It's like she said before, hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Marie told him calmly. "Now are we going to get down to business any time soon?"

"She's right." Aunt Kathryn agreed.

"And why is a human part of this discussion?" Mystique wanted to know.

"Because I've dealt with Stryker before and might know a thing or two about him." Kathryn announced to the room at large.

"Stryker...?" Ororo and Jean asked at the same time.

"Colonel Willian Stryker." Erik offered. "He's the man who lead the attack on the Institute." He turned to my aunt. "How do you know him?"

"After the fall of a facility in the Three Mile Island and Stryker's court martial over the death of General Munson, SHIELD was called in to investigate what exactly those men had been doing in that place." Aunt Kathryn summarized.

"What did you find?" Erik was curious about what the answer would be.

"Not much." She admitted. "Regretfully it was more what we suspected than what we could prove. A lot burned when the base was destroyed in March of '86. And even the few files we could salvage, we couldn't actually prove anything. There were empty cages, no people, no bodies but those of soldiers, scientists, and one civilian, all who apparently died during a conflict when the base went down." She made a pause, turning to look at Marie and I before adding. "It was only earlier today that I learnt there had, indeed, been people in those cages, mutant children, and they were saved... by your Professor..."

"Scott was among those children." Jean agreed quietly.

She knew the story, what had happened that day, at least in general terms. Scott had mentioned it to her, though he didn't like talking about the time he'd spent prisoner, and she respected that.

"I don't know how Stryker managed to get back into business after he was court martial-ed." Aunt Kathryn added. "But I do know that if he did he has support, and a lot of it."

"Humanity has been trying to destroy us from the start." Mystique hissed.

"Not all of it." Kathryn denied. "I am human, and I have nothing against either of you."

"Neither did Moira MacTaggert, but that didn't stop her agency, the CIA, from shooting at us when we were on that beach." The shape-shifter stated grimly. "Having the support of individuals is not enough. Not when their organizations, their governments, will always be after us."

"SHIELD has never been kind to mutants either." Erik added.

"It has never pursued you either..." Kathryn said, then revised. "Well, the Brotherhood maybe, but that's because of your terrorist activities, and not exactly because you're mutant. It is true SHIELD had never been known for working well with gifted, but that's mostly because the original leaders were either afraid or insecure regarding people with such power... and the one in charge today is way too paranoid."

"In any case." I stepped in, deciding we really needed to get back on topic. "We're not here to talk about SHIELD, but about Charles, and Cyclops, and the students Stryker has prisoner."

"Very true." Erik agreed wholeheartedly. "Lets talk then. You already know who's in charge of everything. What you might not know is that Stryker invaded your mansion for one purpose, and one purpose only: he wanted Cerebro. Or at least enough of it to build one of his own."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Jean stated, focusing back on the topic as well. "Stryker would need the Professor to operate it."

"Which I think is the only reason my old friend is still alive." Erik admitted grimly.

Most of all (all who knew the true power behind Cerebro, and the Professor, seemed to reach the same conclusion at the same time.

"By the stars..." I breathed out in horror.

"Oh my God..." Ororo called at the same time.

The rest only exchanged worried looks, but it was enough.

"What are you all so afraid of?" Logan demanded, one of few that didn't understand.

"While Cerebro is working, Charles's mind is connected to every living person on the planet." Erik explained. "If he were forced to concentrate hard enough on a particular group -let's say, mutants, for example-, he could kill us all!"

It was indeed a grim prospect, all the more reason to find and rescue the Professor, and stop Stryker, before anything like that could happen.

"Wait a minute." Ororo said, voice suddenly cold. "How would Stryker even know where to find Cerebro in the first place?"

"Because I told him." Erik admitted, shame and grief written clearly on his face. "I helped Charles build it, remember? Mr. Stryker has powerful methods of persuasion, even against a mutant as strong as Charles and I..."

"So what are we going to do anyway?" Logan was itching to do something anything. "How do we find him? And the Professor?"

"For that, we'll need him." Erik turned to look straight at Nightcrawler.

"Me...?" The teleporter looked intimidated, having everyone's attention on him.

"It's quite clear you were used by Stryker to attack the White House, to assassinate McKenna." Erik explained. "The original purpose might have failed... but in the end it was enough for Stryker's plan to be officially sanctioned."

The mere thought that the government, our government, had given permission for a group of commandos to attack the school, the place where we lived, our sanctuary... it was awful. It made me understand why some people thought like Magneto and Mystique, why they saw humans as a threat to mutant-kind; didn't mean I agreed with their actions, but I could see what had driven them to do the things they did. I just hoped we might be able to find a middle point. Things had been so much better since the memory-fusion of Cuba, since Charles and Erik got the chance to finally understand what had been going through the other's mind that awful day... the last thing we... they needed was for something else to pull them apart after everything.

"How do you know it was sanctioned by the government?" Jean asked him. "Couldn't he have just gone ahead and done it even without authorization?"

"He could have, but he didn't need to." Erik stated calmly. "And how do I know? Because Mystique found information regarding a top-secret facility he's been using for years. We know it exists, we know what they do there... but we don't know where it is." He signaled to Nightcrawler again. "He has that information."

"I don't remember." Nightcrawler, whose birth-name was Kurt Wagner, explained to us. "All I remember is being in the Church, sleeping; then I was in the White House, I saw what I was doing, the way I was hurting people, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself; then I ran until I found my way back to His house..."

"You may not remember it consciously." Mystique stated. "But deep inside... the memory is there. It always is."

Having grown up with a telepath for a brother she probably knew everything about memories; Erik too, I could remember what Marie had told me about that first week, with the first generation of X-Men, the Professor's whole 'Rage and Serenity' motto...

Jean knew they needed her, her ability, so she stepped forth. Soon enough she and Nightcrawler were standing before each other, her hands an inch or so from his temples. He eyed her warily but didn't say a word. Then she closed her eyes, brow furrowing as she concentrated... only to flinch and pull away seconds later.

"No... I... I can't do it." She babbled as she walked to a corner.

I wasn't quite sure how, but I could almost see the frazzled edges of her psyche; Scott's absence was affecting her, deeply, in ways she couldn't understand... it wasn't like I understood it either; I just knew, instinctively, that she needed him, that he was her balance.

"I..." Rogue cleared her throat, probably to gather her courage as she chose that very moment to step up. "I think I might be able to help."

"How...?" No one quite understood.

"I..." Rogue took a deep breath, before revealing her best kept secret. "When a mutant gives me their power, rather than I taking it from them... it doesn't vanish after a little while. It's like a part of it stays with me, and it grows."

"How many powers do you have?" Mystique asked, a hint of suspiciousness in her tone.

"Only three." Rogue shrugged. "The first two I didn't plan for. After that, when I realized I wasn't losing them I went to those I could trust and we set up a test in controlled circumstances."

"You have Charles's power." Erik was the first to reach the logical conclusion. "As well as mine and Wolverine's."

Rogue nodded.

"How...?" Storm cut off, either not knowing what to ask, how to, or not quite sure if she ought to be asking any questions at all.

"Why didn't we know about any of this?" Jean's question had a hint of demand.

"That's why." Rogue answered sharply, waving a hand dismissively when the redhead tried to interrupt. "That look you're directing at me right now. Like I'm a danger, some kind of bomb with a short fuse... Like I'm going to end the world or something!"

Her voice sounded hard, but I could still sense the hurt in her tone.

"They're looking at you the same way almost every single person looks at Charles after they find out he's a telepath." Erik pointed out gruffly.

It was hard to know if that had been his intent, but his words comforted Rogue in ways few things could have in that moment.

"Are you sure you can get into his head without hurting him?" Storm asked seriously.

In that moment, I could see the change in her, subtle as it was. It was almost like she hadn't been able to reconcile the image she had of Marie as a student, with that of an X-woman like herself; so she was no longer seeing her as a student, in that moment Marie was Rogue to her, a mutant, and a warrior.

"I am." Rogue nodded, straightening up. "Charles has been teaching me."

If anyone had any particular thoughts about her referring to the Professor by his first name, no one said anything.

Taking one more deep breath Rogue went to stand before Nightcrawler, who was looking at her nervously, though he didn't try to move away.

"Easy..." She whispered to him softly, using one hand to half-cup his cheek, the tips of her fingers touching his temple lightly. "I promise I won't hurt you."

Not a word was said for several very long, very tense seconds, then Rogue let out a breath at the same time she dropped her hand and stepped back, away for him.

"Wha...?" Nightcrawler looked at her in disbelief. "Is that all?"

I could guess he hadn't felt a thing, unlike what had happened with Jean. Charles really had been teaching Marie.

"Marie..." Logan began, approaching the brunette.

"Wait." My sister stopped him, raising a hand. "Give me a minute. I know I've seen that place before, I just need to crosscheck something."

I knew what she was doing then; comparing the memories she'd just gotten from the teleporter from some others archived in her mind; probably from memories she'd gotten from someone else... she proved me right a handful of seconds later.

"Alkali Lake." She announced, unable to hold back the satisfaction in her tone. "They're at Alkali Lake in Canada..."

"That's impossible." Logan stated right away. "I've been to that place. There's nothing there. Just an abandoned base."

"There's nothing on the surface." Marie corrected him. "There are sub-levels you probably didn't find, though..." She looked straight at him before adding. "You've been there Logan. That's the other time I'd seen that place. In your memories... that's where you got your claws..."

Wolverine stared at her for seconds that seemed to last an eternity, before abruptly tearing himself away, practically fleeing the room. Rogue didn't say a word, though I could see how much it cost her, just to remain standing, when something inside was breaking. I wanted so much to go to her, to embrace her, hold her tight against me; but that would make her seem vulnerable, and in that moment she needed to be strong. The others were beginning to trust her and we couldn't risk that. The stakes were too high...

Somehow she still knew, I could feel the soft, mental thank you in the back of my mind. She knew I loved her, that I would always be there for her; and for the time being that was enough. It would have to be.

**xXx**

Much as we wanted to head out right away, we knew it would be better if we could rest some beforehand. So arrangements were made, before we shared some take-out dinner and then split up to sleep. Marie was bunking in with me (the bed was big enough), while Jean and Ororo were staying in her room, Magneto and Mystique were sharing the guestroom, while Aunt Kathryn had offered her own bed to Wolverine, before going up to the third floor, to the master bedroom, which neither of us had used since my father had officially moved to Europe.

I woke up in the middle of the night, which wasn't exactly rare, but still. Thankfully Marie had been tired enough after the previous 24 hours she didn't so much as stir when I left the bed, pulled on my night-robe and left the bedroom on bare-feet.

It was instinctive, to go straight for the rose-patch, holding my robe close against my chest, bare feet touching the damp grass. I found a peace when surrounded by roses, like I found nowhere and with almost nothing else. What I wasn't expecting was for my little sanctuary to have been invaded by someone else already, or rather two someones... Logan and Jean were there, and they were kissing...

I wasn't quite sure what was greater in that moment, my pain in behalf of my sister, who loved the Wolverine so absolutely, so unconditionally, even though he kept seeing her as nothing more than a kid; or the contempt for the redhead, who claimed to love Scott Summers (and a part of me knew she truly did) and yet that didn't stop her from playing around with a man who wasn't hers, who was never meant to be hers!

Eventually she pulled away, I couldn't quite make out what she was saying, as they were too far away for me to listen in, and she was in the wrong position for me to read her lips. I could make out when he asked 'what?' for some reason, though the only response I could see was her leaving. Jean didn't see me there, focused as she was on going back into the house.

I considered briefly walking away, finding some other sanctuary for the time being; but I loved my sister so much, that I felt I just had to do something!

"Why is it that you choose to pursue someone who isn't yours, instead of acknowledging your true match?" The words were out of my mouth before I could think twice about it.

Wolverine spun abruptly to face me, though for some reason his claws never came out. I could see the surprise in his expression, he hadn't seen me (or heard me, or even smelled me) coming. I'd truly surprised him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" He demanded.

"You know exactly what that's supposed to mean." I retorted, saying the words as they came to mind, not quite stopping to consider what I was saying exactly. "Why must you go after one who isn't your match, your true mate, when the right person is right there, just around the metaphorical corner, waiting for you to take notice?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He snapped, turning his back to me.

"Oh but you do." I just couldn't let it go. "I know you do, and you know it too. You can feel it, I'm sure of it. Wanna know why? Because she feels it too. The difference is that she has accepted it, and you haven't. Will you truly keep her waiting? Or worse, will you keep hurting her, trying to seduce a woman you're well aware is meant for somebody else?"

I thought he'd deny it again, but he turned back towards me, light-brown eyes spearing me into place with a sudden intensity I wasn't expecting.

"What could you possibly know about such topics?" His tone was half-demanding, half-derisive. "You speak of matches, of mates, but what could a child like you possibly understand about such things? About a commitment of bodies, minds, hearts and souls, bonds meant to last till the very last start is snuffed out of the sky?"

I had no words to answer that. Wolverine left, but I didn't notice, not really, I was completely lost in an endless void that had appeared in the center of my mind all of a sudden. It was like a corner of myself, of my heart and soul was screaming something at me, yet I couldn't hear the words. I was missing something, something huge, I knew it, yet still had no idea what it was, and the whole thing was tearing me apart from the inside out. For a fraction of a second I could swear I saw a metal band around my right wrist, covered in ancient intricate designs I felt I should know, yet didn't...

I felt the sudden, imperious need to scream, to wail until I lost my voice, until the voiceless scream in my soul quieted again. Yet I knew that wasn't the way to go, so instead I left the gardens; not quite seeing where I was going, until I suddenly found myself sitting in a black bench, before the huge concert piano, in the manor's music room. My hands were on the keys before I consciously made any choice, of any kind; and when the words came to my mind, and then straight through my lips, I could finally breathe again:

"Aren't you somethin' to admire?  
'Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror  
And I can't help but notice  
You reflect in this heart of mine  
If you ever feel alone and  
The glare makes me hard to find  
Just know that I'm always  
Parallel on the other side"

"'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul  
I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go  
Just put your hand on the glass  
I'll be tryin' to pull you through  
You just gotta be strong"

"'Cause I don't wanna lose you now  
I'm lookin' right at the other half of me  
The vacancy that sat in my heart  
Is a space that now you hold  
And tell me how to fight for now  
And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy  
Comin' back into you once I figured it out  
You were right here all along"

"It kind is like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me  
It kind is like you're my mirror"

There was actually a mirror, just across the room from where I was, it occupied a whole wall, floor to ceiling, side to side. Depending on the angle one looked at it, it would reflect the one playing, or the garden just outside the glass wall/door perpendicular to it. However, when I looked straight at it, for a fraction of a second it was almost like I could see something that was neither myself, nor the garden. A man in green and gold, with a background that looked like endless stars...

 **xXx** **3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

When Marie woke the first thing she noticed was that her sister was missing from the bed. That wasn't exactly rare; even when there were no memories-or-powers-induced-nightmares, either or both of them would often find themselves awake and unable to sleep in the middle of the night. It was how their runs to the kitchen had come into being.

In that moment Rogue was still half-asleep, her powers not quite under her control as she fought to gain full-consciousness, which was probably the only reason why she didn't/couldn't stop herself from reaching out mentally when she heard the steps on the hallway outside her door; as if a part of her thought it might be her sister. Except it wasn't, not at all, it was Jean Grey, and the image in the forefront of her mind was soon in Marie's own: the passionate kiss she and Logan had shared in the garden just minutes earlier. Marie thought she was going to be sick, or possibly faint, and not for any adolescent reason; but the pain inside her at seeing Logan, the man she knew instinctively she was meant for... it hurt so badly that for a moment she managed to forget that she'd been worried about her sister... until the music began:

First came the piano notes, then the voice... but it was until the voice hit a higher pitch than was usual, that Marie realized something serious was going on. In automatic she slipped out of bed, put on her night-robe and was out of the bedroom without even stopping to look for a pair of slippers or anything else. She had no idea what was going on exactly, all she knew was that her sister was hurting, deeply, she was singing her heart out and Marie needed to help her, somehow.

"Aren't you somethin', an original  
'Cause it doesn't seem merely a sample  
And I can't help but stare, 'cause  
I see truth somewhere in your eyes  
I can't ever change without you  
You reflect me, I love that about you  
And if I could, I would look at us all the time"

"With your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul  
I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go  
Just put your hand on the glass  
I'll be tryin' to pull you through  
You just gotta be strong"

"'Cause I don't wanna lose you now  
I'm lookin' right at the other half of me  
The vacancy that sat in my heart  
Is a space that now you hold  
Tell me how to fight for now  
And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy  
Comin' back into you once I figured it out  
You were right there all along"

"It kind is like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me  
I couldn't get any bigger  
With anyone else beside of me  
And now it's clear as this promise  
That we're making two reflections into one  
'Cause it's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me"

"Yesterday is history  
Tomorrow's a mystery  
I can see you lookin' back at me  
Keep your eyes on me  
Baby, keep your eyes on me"

By the time she reached the entrance of the music room she realized she was no longer alone, practically every inhabitant of the house was standing either at the door to the room, just inside, or just out of sight of it; everyone listening silently to the heart-wrenching melody being created by the auburn-haired young woman in night-clothes, playing the piano without even looking at the keys, without a music-sheet or any guide at all and singing her soul out like she could do nothing else in that moment.

*Your sister is a most fascinating creature...*

It took Rogue a second or two to realize Erik had just spoken straight into her mind; still she knew better than to try and answer to him the same way; even if he might be willing to trust Charles in his head, that didn't mean he would trust her. So instead she just turned towards him and dipped her head in silent acknowledgment. What the mutant had just said... and to think he hadn't the slightest idea of just who Silbhé truly was, her power and her past...

"Canary indeed..." Mystique whispered under her breath.

No one else said a word, instead they all continued standing right there, listening to the mournful melody of one who felt so much, and yet couldn't express it, because her heart and soul knew things, deep inside, that no matter how hard she might try, her mind simply couldn't remember.

"'Cause I don't wanna lose you now  
I'm lookin' right at the other half of me  
The vacancy that sat in my heart  
Is a space that now you hold  
And tell me how to fight for now (please show me, baby)  
I'll tell you, baby, it was easy  
Comin' back into you once I figured it out  
You were right here all along"

"It's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me  
I couldn't get any bigger  
With anyone else beside of me  
And now it's clear as this promise  
That we're making two reflections into one  
'Cause it's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me"

**xXx**

In the morning no one said a word about the episode of midnight singing. It took a while, but eventually everyone was convinced that it was a good idea for Kathryn Salani to tag along, because not only was she a former agent, but she was also a nurse with plenty of experience both in hospitals and on the field, which just might prove invaluable in the coming mission.

It took several hours to make it all the way to Alkali Lake. Most of the time was spent making and discarding plans. It wasn't easy, even with the so-called truce between the members of the X-Men and the two leaders of the Brotherhood... Silbhé and Marie could only look at each other in silence, wondering if they could all really be missing something that was so obvious to them.

The girls were considering doing something themselves to try and break the tension when Logan unexpectedly approached Marie:

"So... you have my memories?" He blurted out with no finesse.

"I do." She answered evenly, waiting to see where he was going with that line of questioning.

"You knew something I didn't." He pointed out. "About that base..."

"You do know it, the memories are there, in your head, otherwise I wouldn't have them." Rogue told him, as calmly as she could. "The Professor knew too."

"Why didn't he tell me then?" Logan tried to sound calm, but there was an undercurrent of anger, mixed with hurt in his voice.

"It's not easy, dealing with a mind that has been damaged." Marie tried her best to explain, though it was hard when the other person wasn't a telepath, didn't see things the way she and the Professor did. "You cannot just tell someone what's in their own head. If they refuse to believe it, it will just block their memories even tighter. And if you try to pull them free to show them... you might end up hurting them even more. The trust that is required for a telepath to go into someone else's bank of memories, to find anything at all, and to pull it out... it's akin to letting yourself fall off a cliff, without looking down, and believing the other person will catch you. Not anyone can trust another person that much..."

Yet Erik had once trusted Charles that much... it was a trust they still had to find again, but both men wanted to believe they were on their way to that; in no small way thanks to the sisters.

"So, the bottom-line is, yes, I have all your memories, and I remember some of them in ways even you don't." Marie whispered softly, brushing the back of a gloved hand against his cheek. "Maybe one day you will, maybe you won't. In the end it'll be up to you." She turned her back on him and was about to walk away, when she thought of something else. "I will not tell you what's in your head, but if you ever remember and need someone to talk about it, or even just someone to rant at. Know I'll always be here for you... always."

He'd no idea how much she meant that... one day he would.

By the time they finally made it to Alkali Lake they had topographic maps they began using to try and create a working strategy. Still, it wasn't easy; and after nearly an hour arguing in circles, when yet again the group began straying from the topic of rescuing their friends, and into their separate groups... one person decided she'd about had enough.

"Are you really so blind?!" Silbhé snapped, calling everyone's attention upon her. "You keep going on and on about the X-Men, the Brotherhood, about ideologies... you keep focusing on the few things that make you different, rather than makes you alike."

"Like what?" Mystique drawled. "A mutated gene?"

"A purpose... and a name." Canary stated, softly but strongly. "In the end you all want the same thing: to protect yourself, and your own. It's the same thing I want too..."

"We do not share a name..." Jean began, affronted.

"But you do, or you did once at least." Canary insisted. "Or have you all forgotten? Magneto and Mystique were X-Men once, before any of you even."

They all needed a moment to think over what had just been said, slowly settling down.

"So, will we keep fighting, or will we go and rescue our family?" Rogue challenged.

It wasn't a magical solution but for the time being it would have to do. Wolverine believed that Stryker would want him alive, therefore he was the best option for getting in without the soldiers flooding the way. The only kink in that plan was that Wolverine didn't know how to operate the systems they would need to take over to allow for everyone else to get in without the contents of the dam falling upon them. So it was Mystique who stepped up then, she'd be able to shape-shift into Wolverine and pretend long enough to get where she needed to go.

"I'll go with her." Silbhé announced unexpectedly.

"What...?!" No one was expecting that.

"It's no lack of trust on my part." She assured everyone. "But she might need some backup and I'm the only one that can get inside without being noticed. Also, Rogue can be in my head so we'll be able to keep in touch and I'll send a signal when you can come in."

"How exactly are you going to get in after me without being seen?" Mystique inquired, intrigued. "I don't think songs will help you this time."

"No, they probably won't." Silbhé smiled at the blue mutant. "But that's not necessary, because my power isn't in my songs, not really."

From one second to the next she seemed to disappear, which made everyone start in surprise.

"Another psychic?" Mystique wanted to know.

"That's no mind-trick." Magneto qualified, signaling to the helmet on his head, then turned to the just reappeared auburn-haired girl. "I've always known you were able to weave illusions, but I've never known how you do it."

"We don't know for sure either." Canary shrugged. "It's like I can manipulate light, making it take shape and color, sometimes it almost feels solid. Dr. McCoy told me once that if it weren't so absolutely impossible he would say that I can do magic..."

Several brows raised at the off-handed comment, but in the end no one said a word. The plan was made, it was time to put it in practice.

The first part was simple enough. Mystique had had mastery over her mutation for almost fifty years, it was no trouble for her to take Wolverine's shape, mimic his voice and mannerisms. Even the claws were in the range of her possibilities; though they obviously wouldn't be as strong as adamantium ones. The only thing she couldn't replicate were abilities, like healing... they could only hope that wouldn't be necessary.

The moment the soldiers stepped out through concealed side-entrances to apprehend Wolverine, Canary stepped back, making sure no one was getting close enough to perceive the flimsy illusory barrier she'd created to conceal herself. It was a near thing, but in the end the hazel-eyed managed to get into the base just before the huge metal doors were closed. Immediately she was moving, slipping between soldiers too focused on 'Wolverine' to notice anything was off; she knew she needed to get to safety before the bullets began flying.

Inside the blackbird Rogue stood by the bomb-bay doors, eyes closed, choosing instead to look through her sister's, as she kept up with everything that was going on with her and Mystique. She couldn't help but tense when Stryker announced that if he knew anything it was his own work, and that the Wolverine before them was a fake. The shooting started, but Rogue didn't get the chance to worry, she could still see through her sister's eyes; Canary was small enough she'd managed to hide completely crouching behind some equipment. She watched as the shape-shifter dropped Wolverine's form to take her own again, which allowed her to slip off the gauntlet-like cuffs that had been put on her as she began fighting off all the soldiers around. She was much faster and agile than the human soldiers were used to dealing with, by the time they were truly ready to act it was too late, Mystique had gotten into the control-room.

"We're up." Rogue announced as she opened her eyes.

Mystique announced through the speakers the moment she'd taken over the control-room, a message Rogue received through Canary. There was electric interference all around, ruining radios and a number of machines. Then the doors were forced opened and two figures in black stepped in: Magneto and Rogue, each turning their powers to one side of them room, making weapons and soldiers go flying. At the exact same time Canary left her hiding spot, allowing herself to become visible even as she raised her hands, using her powers to send those few the others had missed to the ground, knocking most of them unconscious. All three of them the looked at each other and smiled, even as the rest of the group entered the base.

They were in, now to find and save their family...

**xXx Canary's POV xXx**

We met in the control-room to discuss options. While Stryker had had his men destroy a number of the cameras, enough were still working to help us. We quickly located the area where the children were being kept and a team was formed, comprised of Storm, Nightcrawler and Aunt Kathryn, who would be getting the children out before making their way to the fake Cerebro, which was where the rest of us were going.

No one but me noticed when first one and then another of the group slipped away.

"Where's Logan?" Storm asked unexpectedly as we were about to split.

"He's gone..." Jean whispered, being the first to notice the comm he'd left behind.

"Rogue has gone after him." I informed them. "She'll make sure he's alright."

"And who'll make sure she's alright?" Jean asked testily.

"Wolverine, of course." The answer was so obvious, I couldn't believe she couldn't see it. "And if anything else happens, Rogue will let me know." I tapped the side of my head lightly. "You need not worry about us Jean, we are perfectly capable of looking after ourselves, and our own."

The telekinetic didn't insist anymore, and so we split in two groups and left the control-room.

It was odd and more than a little surprising when Jean Grey chose that precise moment to begin talking to me, as an equal:

"The song you sang last night..." She began, breaking off, as if not knowing quite what to ask, or how to do it. "About the mirrors... and the soulmates..."

"Stop right there." I interrupt her. "I'll be perfectly honest with you Jean. I have no idea what I sang last night."

It was obvious she wasn't expecting that; neither were Magneto and Mystique, walking before us.

"What...?" Jean blinked at me. "Is that... normal?"

"While I suppose it isn't exactly normal by most people's standards... it's perfectly normal for me, I'm afraid." I shrugged. "Mine's a very long and very complicated story, but the short of it is that there are pieces of my memory missing. Put away, under lock and key... I didn't do that, nor do I have the key. Whatever was done to me, it happened about six months or so before I came to live in Westchester. It doesn't hurt, nor does it affect my everyday life; but every so often I will get feelings, thoughts, or sometimes simply know things, without understanding why, or how. When that happens I tend to play the Chinese flute, or sing. Music is cathartic to me... it's also the best way I can control my powers." I took a deep breath. "Bottom-line, right now I don't remember what I sang last night. I might remember later on, once I've had time to fully process what came to me that brought on that particular episode." I sighed. "Did I say something or do something in particular you might wish to talk about?"

"Soulmates." Jean answered quietly. "You were talking about soulmates..."

"Ah yes... according to Marie and Aunt Kathryn that seems to be a favored topic whenever I happen to have one of those episodes." I nodded in agreement.

"Do you really believe in those things?" She sounded so doubtful yet so hopeful at the same time.

"I do." I couldn't help but smile. "More than I believe in myself sometimes. I think everyone in the universe has a soulmate, a perfect match. It might be hard to find them, but not impossible."

"And how do you know when you've found them?" Jean insisted. "What kind of proof can you have that it's real?"

"That's the beauty of it." I said softly, believing every word I said. "When you really love someone, you don't need proof. You can feel it."

I truly believed that, with the same fervor I believed that one day I would get all my memories back and, if the stars chose to smile upon me, I would find my match too.

We walked together for several minutes until Jean stopped unexpectedly. There was a hall down our left, though I hadn't been paying much attention to it, as that wasn't the route we needed to take to get to Cerebro.

"Is everything alright?" I asked her softly, the other two were beginning to leave us behind.

"Can you go with them, make sure the Professor's safe?" She asked me quietly.

"Of course." I didn't hesitate as I answered. "But why?"

"I think I need to go this way." She explained, signaling to the path on our left.

I didn't need her to explain further. Scott Summers was that way, of course she needed to go after him. So I simply nodded, mentally wishing her the best of luck before hurrying to catch up with the other two. Neither of them asked me where Jean had gone, either they knew already, or they simply didn't care; neither would have surprised me.

A few minutes later I stopped abruptly as I noticed the two mutants before me had done the same. I sensed the moment Magneto began calling on his powers and reacted before I fully realized what I was doing, placing a hand on his arm.

"Wait..." I whispered, not wanting the soldiers around the corner to become aware of us just yet.

"What do you want Canary?" He asked softly but seriously.

"Are you going to get all self-righteous like Charles and try to stop us from doing what must be done?" Mystique inquired in turn. "I thought you were willing to do anything...?"

"I am." I answered immediately and without hesitation. "But couldn't we begin working on compromising right here, right now? I'm not saying those men don't deserve to pay for what they've done, what they still intend to do. But why should we dirty ourselves with their blood when they don't deserve it? When they don't deserve our attention at all?"

I could see in their eyes that they'd never considered things like that. They didn't care for all the humans they had killed, and might kill in the future, while defending their cause and their people. And while I understood that sometimes loss of life was inevitable; a part of me thought that should be the last option rather than the first.

"You realize that taking them down without killing them will be harder and riskier for whoever chooses to do it?" Magneto warned.

"I know." I nodded, taking a deep breath before stepping up. "That's why I'll be the one doing it."

"I don't think illusions will cut it on this one." Mystique deadpanned.

"It's a good thing that illusions isn't my only power then." I quipped with a half-smile.

Magneto smiled too, and I knew he'd noticed my own actions when they'd entered the base.

What followed was something I was never able to remember quite right; not because anyone blocked it, not even me; but because so much happened so fast, that my mind could only process it in pieces after the fact.

In the end I did use some illusions, covering myself in them, though not to make myself invisible; instead I covered the black X-men suit I was wearing with a loose floor-length coral gown; my hair, pulled back in a tight twist that was beginning to come undone. I walked around the corner and straight towards the soldiers, slowly.

I didn't need to be a telepath to imagine what they must be thinking right then. I was almost a vision to them. By the time their leader regained his wits and opened his mouth to order his men to shoot it was too late, I was already standing right in the middle of the group. I let my illusion drop a fraction of a second before I crouched, raising my hands above me and holding them there, as a transparent dome formed around me, a shield. A round of bullets hit it from every direction, but nothing got through. Then, right as the soldiers stopped for a handful of seconds, probably to try and understand what was going on exactly, I rose, going into a spin as I began waving my arms almost violently, directing telekinetic waves all around.

It was all over less than a minute after I'd turned the corner. All men were laying against walls, or down the hallway, knocked unconscious. Magneto and Mystique approached then, looking at me as if they were seeing me for the very first time.

Magneto turned his attention to the soldiers around us very briefly, before flicking his hand once, all weapons went to him almost instantly, before falling into pieces, useless. We'd won, and not a single person had been killed.

"Hekate..." Mystique's word made me turn towards her, confused.

"Excuse me?" I asked her.

"That should be your name." The shape-shifted explained. "Canary simply doesn't do you justice. While Hekate, well she was..."

"The goddess of magic in Greek mythology." I finished for her. "I know."

"A goddess indeed." Magneto agreed.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, I knew his thoughts about humans and the superiority of mutants. I also wondered what would happen when he realized I wasn't actually a mutant... the response to that part, at least, came sooner than I was expecting.

We'd all heard Storm over the comms, the children had been rescued, they were alright. Jubilee was the only one with minor injuries (which she'd apparently gotten fighting like crazy to keep the younger kids safe), and they were all on their way. Jean had sent a telepathic message letting us know she was on her way too, Scott with her, and she had apparently lost her comm at some point while fighting to get him back (literally). Which meant we were only missing Charles (and dealing with Stryker).

Magneto went to stand before the doors to the dark Cerebro, calling on all of his power in order to do... something. An instinct inside me suddenly screamed that something was wrong; I had no idea what it could be... until Mystique dropped to her knees beside me, moaning in pain.

"Erik!" In her anguish she seemingly couldn't help but return to the old names. "Hurry!"

Magneto turned to look at her automatically, worry evident in his expression; it took him a second or two to realize one very important fact: that I wasn't on my knees beside Mystique.

"You're not a mutant." He breathed out and he was either too shocked by the development or simply hadn't decided yet if the whole thing made him angry, doubtful, or something else entirely. "But you still have power."

"No, I'm not; and yes, I do." I answered each non-question in turn. "And just so you know, I'm not human either... or at least not according to Cerebro, the Professor, and a number of tests conducted by him and Dr. McCoy."

"What are you then?" He asked, even as he turned to focus on Cerebro again, the helmet protecting him from the mental attack.

"No idea." I deadpanned. "If I ever find out, I'll be sure to let you know."

Just like before, I could feel something the moment the situation changed, even before Mystique breathed out and went to stand beside me again.

"Are you alright?" I asked her very quietly.

She just nodded once, before turning her attention back to Magneto.

The doors were forced open then. Neither of us moved for several seconds, until Magneto turned to look at me. I could feel Mystique beside me, waiting... it took me a second to realize what it was she was waiting for, it hurt. And yet, instead of following the instincts screaming at me to let my power lose, to fight back, to attack before I could be attacked... I chose to do something else entirely. As I straightened to my full height (limited as it might be) and stared straight at the master of magnetism as I spoke.

"What will it be now Erik?" I asked, purposefully using that name, the one only family was allowed to use. "Will you kill me? Then take the opportunity to destroy humanity? Destroy Charles along with them?" I could see the anger growing in him, knew how dangerous it was to provoke him, yet I went on, wanting to drive the point home. "This isn't Cuba, Erik. This time there are no misunderstandings, no wrong words said in anger, no one shooting at your back... This time the choice is all yours. What do you choose? War or Charles?"

In the end, it wasn't complicated, not at all. And it was all in Erik's hands...

 **xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

The whole world on the balance, and it was unlikely that more than a handful of people would ever know. Silbhé Salani, Canary, Hekate... stood in the middle of the stone and metal hall of the military base hidden beneath Alkali Lake, surrounded by unconscious and unarmed soldiers; beside her stood a blue-skinned red-haired amber-eyed shape-shifter, ready for action; in front of her a silver-haired man with steel-eyes and a helmet on his head; both dressed in black.

Small eternities passed with every second, until the man finally gave a silent signal to his second in command. The auburn-haired teenager didn't say a word, she didn't even flinch, just stood where she was looking straight at Erik Lehnsherr, waiting. The blue-skinned Mystique, formerly Raven Xavier, stepped back.

Magneto didn't say a word, he just turned his back on the women and focused his full attention on the opened doors to the dark Cerebro. Mystique went after him seconds later, using the guise of William Stryker to change things around, to push the illusionist in the wheelchair into releasing Charles Xavier (Mystique couldn't see him, but she trusted Erik's instructions of what was really going on, and for some reason Canary/Hekate was immune to his illusions).

Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Kathryn Salani, Kurt Wagner, Ororo Munroe and the just-rescued half-dozen children were just turning the corner when Magneto and Mystique stepped back out of the chamber of the dark Cerebro, the telepath cradled in the metal-bender's arms.

"The illusionist?" Scott asked, tense.

"Jason Stryker is dead." The Professor announced quietly. "When he became aware of the deception wrought by Mystique to get me free, he turned his full power on her... There was no way I was letting him kill my sister."

If anyone had any particular thoughts about the leader of the X-Men referring to the second-in-command of the Brotherhood as his sister, no one said a thing. In any case, the tense moment was broken unexpectedly as everything around them seemed to shake violently.

"The dam is breaking..." Jean announced, somewhat unnecessarily.

Canary blinked a couple of times, staring straight at the two old men, who seemed to almost be glowing in her eyes; before straightening up and beginning to walk.

"This way." She called, turning the nearest corner.

"That's not the direction we came from." Storm pointed out.

"What makes you so sure this is the right direction?" Cyclops asked at the same time.

"If the dam is breaking, the spillway will be a death-sentence." Canary explained. "And my sister says there's another exit this way."

The girl could feel the moment the Professor gently touched the edge of her mind, the mental equivalent of someone knocking on the door, or ringing a doorbell; she allowed him in, to see everything that had happened over the last couple of days, all but the stand-off just a minute or so earlier, between her, Magneto and Mystique.

The children didn't hesitate, they all knew Canary, they loved her. So when she began leading the group, they followed, the adults eventually doing the same. No one said a word, as Canary lead them down turns that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. Then, right as Cyclops was about to question whether she knew where she was taking them, they could all see the two figures on the other side of the room, the lab, they'd just entered.

Rogue's leather-suit looked a bit worse for wear, though there were no wounds on her; the tears in the fabric the only sign of the vicious fight she and Wolverine had been involved in. The sisters came together for a moment, pressing their foreheads together as they both thanked the spirits for being alive... the reunion was interrupted as the ground beneath their feet shook yet again.

"Marie..." Wolverine called, and his voice sounded oddly soft for him.

"Right," the girl straightened up immediately, facing everyone. "This way."

Wolverine offered to help carry the Professor, but Magneto refused to let go of his friend, and Charles himself was holding onto him tightly. Mystique didn't say anything, she was already holding the youngest of the two girls in her arms, with Storm, Nightcrawler and Kathryn each carrying one of the other children, while Cyclops helped Jean walk (her leg was hurt). With that Wolverine scooped the last boy in his arms, after the oldest girl, Jubilee, assured everyone she was well-enough to run.

The sisters lead the way out, straight to the helicopter that was awaiting them. Neither of them paid the slightest attention to Stryker's body on a side, as they all piled into the helicopter.

"It doesn't have much fuel." Scott pointed out even as he left Jean and tried to get the chopper to work. "And I really don't have experience with helicopters..."

"Let me." Mystique stated as she slipped into the pilot's seat, pulling a headset on her head.

"You've piloted one of these before?" He asked, curious.

"Many times." She answered honestly. "Learned while in Vietnam, during the war."

"Vietnam?!" Scott repeated, shocked. "What could you possibly have been doing there?!"

"I was undercover, making sure Trask Industries did not take the mutants who'd been fighting on the front, and used them in their experiments." She answered honestly.

There was no doubt that the emotion that filled the X-Man in that moment as he looked at the blue woman that had been an enemy for so long, was pride, and respect.

**xXx**

The group was back in Salani manor by the evening. For the children the whole thing had turned into an exciting adventure. Spending two days captive in human hands only to be rescued by their teachers, a new mutant and a human doctor; and then spending the night in a mansion... Kathryn had phoned several restaurants and gotten a lot of take-out. She'd never had any children and greatly enjoyed being around them, and the kids saw her as a novelty; for most of them she was the first human who neither hated nor feared them for being different... of course, she was the aunt of one of their favorite teachers so she had to be pretty special (or that was how the reasoning of a bunch of children went). After dinner they went to sleep all together in the third-floor master bedroom, the girls sharing the huge bed, the boys on air mattresses arranged on the ground; the adults promising to check on them every so often. They were safe.

Silbhé and Marie were sharing a bedroom for another night, and Kathryn would be bunking in with them; while Jean and Ororo were given use of her bedroom, Kurt and Logan were bunking together in the guest-bedroom, while Charles, Erik and Mystique locked themselves in Marie's room (apparently there was much they needed to discuss before even thinking about sleeping).

Colossus had been informed of the rescue, and the fact that Bobby Drake and St. John Allerdyce were still missing... it was Shadowcat who had the information about them. The pair had been on the news, quite literally. Apparently after leaving Westchester they'd either been unable or simply unwilling to catch up with the other students. Somehow the pair had ended in Boston, in the Drake home, where a series of events had taken place. The public version was that the 'mutants' had gotten violent, Ronnie Drake (Bobby's brother) had phoned the police, fearing for his family. The police had 'tried to reason' with the teenagers, only to have them attack. It'd turned into a huge mess; which only ended when the boys left, though not before blowing up several patrol cars, a couple of trees and part of the Drakes' house. No one had any idea where they could possibly have gone.

"They're beyond us now." The Professor said quietly to everyone. "Bobby and John will always be welcome at the Institute, should they wish to return. But we cannot force them. We must always allow everyone their free will, their choices. Whatever becomes of their lives, its their choice to make now."

Even though the Professor turned to look at each person in turn as he said those words, no one could have missed the way his eyes stayed just a little bit longer on Erik and Raven...

After dinner the group split and the three oldest mutants began talking among themselves in the bedroom they'd chosen to share. Interestingly enough they'd found an elegant chess-set, made of various metals. It was beautiful. So, in a scene reminiscent of what almost seemed like an ancient past, Charles and Erik sat across from each other, ready to play, while Raven chose to drape herself over a daybed close to them.

"So," she asked, almost in a drawl. "Now what?"

"That is indeed the question." Erik replied. "What might your answer be Charles?"

For the longest time Charles didn't answer, and when he did, it wasn't like either his former lover or his sister could have ever expected:

"There's one single thing that I've regretted in all my years of life." He said, so very softly. "It wasn't meeting you, either of you; not loving you as my sister, Raven; or you as my lover, as my perfect match, Erik; it wasn't the loss of so many of my dreams, not even the loss of my legs... it was losing you. It was never getting the chance of being a family again..." His voice broke for a moment, but he forced himself to push through. "And now here we are..." He sniffed. "I've never been a man of faith, but if there's one thing I've prayed for over the last fifty years, it's been for another chance, an opportunity to make things right... with both of you. To be the brother you always deserved, Raven... to be the kind of man you would be proud stand beside, to have as your partner, Erik..."

"Oh Charles..." A tear fell down a blue cheek. "I think... I think we both... we all made mistakes... all those years ago and... and many times since. But you're still my brother, you'll always be my brother, regardless of what I might say when I get angry."

Charles smiled in thanks at that. Even if nothing else came out of the last few days; just making peace with his sister was enough to make it all worth it.

The biggest surprise, though, came when Erik left his spot and went to kneel beside Charles.

"I've never not been proud of you Charles." Erik said softly. "And all the same, I've never stopped loving you. I..."

Very slowly, very deliberately, Erik brought a hand to his head, pulling the helmet off his head. He was so close Charles couldn't help but expand his mind, just enough to touch Erik's for a fraction of a second, before remembering himself and pulling back immediately. He'd no idea what had made his old friend decide to take off the helmet, but he wasn't going to risk the moment of peace they were sharing, for something that might not last...

"No," Erik interrupted his line of thought unexpectedly, taking Charles's hand and pulling it to his own temple. "Don't pull back. Read my mind Charles."

"Erik..." The telepath didn't know what to say to that.

"I've spent almost fifty years alone in my own head..." Erik whispered. "I don't want to anymore. Please Charles... read my mind..."

In the end, Charles had missed his friend's mind too much and for too long to keep resisting, as he dove straight into it, allowing the other's warmth to fill him, like it had back in 1962... Charles knew that no non-telepath would understand it, but some minds just were brighter, felt warmer... Erik was the brightest, warmest, most beautiful mind Charles had ever touched.

It would be impossible to know if it was planned or not, but a single memory was at the forefront of the silver-haired man's mind, and Charles couldn't help but immerse himself in it: the very memory Silbhé had avoided showing him, of the standoff just outside the Dark Cerebro.

Erik tensed minutely as the seconds passed, as he waited for the ax to fall, Charles's judgment had always been a sharp blade, and the master of magnetism didn't expect their current situation to be any different... if anything it would probably be worse, the fact that one of Charles's most trusted professors, a member of his family, had felt her life was threatened by Magneto, even if he never truly considered hurting her.

"Oh Erik..." The silver-haired man braced himself, as if waiting for a blow, until he heard the next words to come out of Erik's mind. "You chose me..."

Even Mystique sat up at that, not having expected her brother to look at things that way. Neither had Erik, for that matter.

"That's what hurt the most, you know?" The telepath said quietly. "All those years ago. When you chose to walk away, to create your Brotherhood and stand against humanity... After the pain and the anger had passed and I was ready to face the world again... I wanted so much to search for you. To try and find you, try and make things right... But in the end the fear was too strong, the fear that you might not choose me..."

"Oh Charles..." Erik breathed out, very tenderly cupping Charles's face with both hands. "I was an idiot back on that beach... So full of anger, and fear... but even then, you know how much I didn't want to do it. I thought I had no other option. And afterwards... afterwards I just didn't know how I could possibly make things right, after everything that had gone wrong..." He shook his head, as if wanting to push that thought aside. "There's one thing you must know though. I do choose you, Charles. I will always choose you... always."

"Always." Charles agreed, a second before Erik pulled him and their mouths connected.

They hadn't kissed in so long, so many long, pain-filled years; yet in that moment, it was as if all that time, all that pain fell away, as if it'd never existed at all... all that was left was the love, the perfect, irrevocable love they both shared.

Neither of them noticed when Mystique left the room to give them their privacy. They deserved it; and she knew she had her own place too. After so long their family was whole again...

**xXx Canary's POV xXx**

It wasn't exactly surprising when I found myself again awake in the middle of the night; though unlike the night before, I had the black jade dizi with me, and once in the rose patch I began slowly recreating the melody my soul had shaped before. 'Mirrors', as Jean had called it. It was slow work, but it was good, helped calm me down, work out feelings I couldn't truly name.

The part I wasn't expecting was when I suddenly found none other than Erik Lehnsherr standing a few feet away from me. He was wearing loose cotton pants and nothing else. I didn't say a word, letting him work things out on his own as I continued playing. Eventually, he spoke up:

"Did you know what I was going to choose?" He asked very quietly.

"No." I was very honest, looking him straight in the eye as I gave my answer. "I may have a number of powers, more than most would expect; but seeing the future is not one of them."

Erik didn't say anything to that, just looked intently at me, as if waiting for what else I might have to say... and there was something else:

"I didn't know..." I hesitated, before finally adding. "...but I had hope."

"Hope..." He repeated, the mix of feelings clear as crystal in his tone.

Hope... such a fragile things to hold onto, and at the same time so strong... Because it was hope that had allowed Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr to keep going when so much had been lost in a spirits-forsaken beach back in 1962... and it was hope that kept me going the nights when I found myself most confused at all the things my mind couldn't fully grasp, the things I could feel in my heart and soul yet couldn't recall in my head... Well, it had worked for Charles and Erik, stars willing, the same would prove true for me...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those waiting for the Avengers side of this... I'm sorry to continue disappointing, they will come in due time. 
> 
> I enjoyed so much writing this chapter! As you probably realized I haven't addressed the consequences of the events at Alkali Lake, or of the changes I've been making, that will come yet; in the next chapter because this one was getting way too long already. 
> 
> Next part is written already, just missing some editing, it'll come in two weeks. Right now I'm working on the final part, and if you have any ideas for this version of the Chitauri battle, give them now and they just may appear! I'm also taking this moment to begin warning you all, I'll be taking a break after this AU. It's the last of this series, and after some rest I'll be diving straight back onto the main timeline and the third part in that. I have so many ideas... but to be perfectly honest I'm growing somewhat tired of Marvel right now, I really need a break (and my parents gave me the Box-set of the Hobbit Trilogy in Extended Edition for Christmas and I've yet to take the time to watch it, so yeah...). 
> 
> Please don't forget to comment! I live for reviews of all you wonderful readers!


	3. Hekate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Scientific terms' and the alias Marie uses in this chapter are taken from the comics (or more precisely, from the wiki pages dedicated to the comics, as I didn't actually have the time to go through them until I found something that fit). 
> 
> I researched American federal law and New York state law (again, through the web) for the speech Marie gives at one point; even then I'm no lawyer and have no way of knowing how true or false what she's saying, is. In any case, I only needed an excuse for things to work out. 
> 
> For the purpose of this chapter I've taken the bare bones of 'The Last Stand', scrapped the rest and pretty much went from there. You'll know what I mean once you read. Also, I suppose I should warn you for the character death ahead... (no main characters, I promise!)
> 
> For those who've been waiting for Marie and Logan to get their act together... enjoy! This is the first time I've had the chance to write this pairing, much as I love them, and I've greatly enjoyed this. Hope you will too. (If you don't like the pairing and are reading this story regardless, I'm sorry, I hope you will continue reading anyway).

**Hekate**

I was like the stars, sister of the moon and daughter of the night-sky.

I walked out of the huge white building and through the carefully groomed gardens in silence. Quiet footsteps shadowing me. I could see people around us stopping whatever it was they were doing, turning to look at us, a mix of curiosity and nervousness as their eyes laid on us: the Mutant Liaisons...

I didn't say a word, using a hand to push a lock of platinum-blonde hair behind my ear right as we finally reached the car the valet had just parked at the end of the drive. My partner nodded at him, her own short, somewhat curly, golden-blonde tresses shifting a bit as she slipped into the driver's seat of the iridium gray Mercedes.

She was wearing an off-white button-up blouse with a charcoal-gray pantsuit and low black-boots; while I wore a black sleeveless blouse with a few buttons on the upper half, long navy-blue skirt, a matching cropped jacket and black-boots.

For several minutes we didn't say a word, she just drove down the streets of New York. She drove seemingly without a care in the world, taking unexpected turns and doubling back a couple of times. We knew there was little point to it all, if the government had found the Institute once they could do it again... at the same time, they'd only been able to find it the first time thanks to the 'persuasive' power of Jason Stryker, and they no longer had that. In any case, it didn't hurt to take precautions. Eventually, though, we made it out of the city and got on the road that would take us to Westchester County.

Taking a deep breath, I ran a hand through my hair, platinum waves turning back to their natural auburn under the touch of my hand. It wasn't a new power, not really, just another use to an old one, an illusion that might help keep everyone I loved safe.

Beside me I could see the moment my partner, my sister, relaxed minutely in the driver's seat, her whole body rippling, gaining an odd blue tone for a fraction of a second as her hair lengthened, turning from golden-blonde to dark mahogany, before a thick lock at the very front turned completely white. The rest of us didn't change at all, but that was enough.

"I'm tired..." I said quietly.

Many probably wouldn't understand why, exactly; but I knew she did. She'd been with me from the start, first offering help from the sidelines, and eventually right with me.

"You were only supposed to do this job for a few months... and now it's been two years." She agreed quietly.

"And now you're with me too." I pointed out.

"We all agreed you needed someone to watch your back, and Logan made people nervous." My sister stated calmly. "Of course, the only reason they aren't equally nervous in my presence is because they have no idea what I'm capable of..."

She was possibly the most powerful mutant in the world (even if she couldn't push her 'gifted' powers to the same extremes the original bearers could, the mere fact that she'd several abilities and had learned to use them at the same time gave her an edge)... if Wolverine's, Magneto's, and Professor X's abilities put together hadn't been enough, Marie had managed to convince Mystique to share her power as well. I wasn't quite sure what was said, only that Marie argued it would help keep everyone safe. And if there was one rule Mystique lead her life by, it was protecting her own... it was one thing we had in common. In fact, that truth was the thing that had managed to breach the divide, bring us all together and allow us to stay together even after the threat of Stryker and the government was past.

It'd all begun a few days after the events at Alkali Lake:

" _What do you mean someone needs to go to the White House?" Everyone was wondering but, as was becoming increasingly usual, Erik was the one to ask the question._

_Erik was the one to question Charles, to challenge him, to present a second option; not because he wanted to be confrontational, but to allow for Charles, and everyone else, to think things through before committing to a particular choice. It was something more than one person had to be thankful for (even if most wouldn't admit it)._

" _I mean that the events of the last week have consequences, some which go beyond us." The Professor explained calmly. "We have recovered our students and thanks to you, and Wolverine we are working on making this a safer place... but it doesn't end there."_

" _Stryker is dead." Wolverine pointed out gruffly, he'd made sure of that himself._

" _As are all the soldiers who were in Alkali Lake." Rogue added more quietly._

_That one hadn't been planned. It was ironic, actually, after I'd made sure that Magneto didn't kill them, they'd died anyway... at the same time, I couldn't say their deaths took my sleep. In the end, those men had attacked my school, a place I called home, they'd fired their guns at children; had put six of them in a cage, knowing what would happen to them (many of the children kept having nightmares even months after everything had happened). They'd been complicit in a plan to kill hundreds of thousands of innocents! I'd been truthful when I said I'd do anything to protect me and mine, and even if I didn't see killing as a first option (more like a last resort) that didn't mean I didn't realize that some people could only be stopped by such measures._

_In any case, I hadn't intended for them to die, but in the end we simply hadn't remembered them, while running away from the collapsing dam. They'd died there... and the fact that the Professor never so much as suggested we try and help others, showed what he thought about them._

" _Stryker's attack on the mansion was sanctioned." Cyclops reminded us all grimly._

" _Sanctioned, as in government-sanction?" Rogue asked in disbelief._

_While some had disagreed with her continued presence in our group, particularly since she was technically still a student. There was no doubt that she'd proven herself during the previous week; and both Magneto and Professor X had welcomed her as part of the X-Men so there was little the others could do about it._

" _Indeed, by the president himself." Mystique announced in a drawl. "I was there." We all knew about her posing as Senator Kelly for the last year. "When I first saw the paperwork I couldn't believe it. The number of people Stryker could have gotten that kind of information from was extremely limited. I knew something had to be very wrong. I tried to take the president's attention away from it, to delay Stryker, to make McKenna think twice about allowing such a move. It all failed, couldn't even get a permit to 'visit' Erik..."_

" _You could have." I blurted out before I was fully conscious of what I was saying._

" _What...?" No one was expecting that._

_I cursed at myself in my mind; Erik just let out a sigh; however, it was Charles who elaborated:_

" _We put you on the list of approved visitors." He explained quietly. "Not Senator Kelly, but you, Raven... Raven Xavier-Darkholme could have visited any time she wanted."_

_The blue-skinned shape-shifter opened and closed her mouth several times, but she seemed to be unable to find any words to express herself. In the end, she said nothing (though Marie later told me she'd vaguely picked up on a telepathic message she'd directed at the Professor, the contents of which were never mentioned)._

" _Perhaps we should return to the topic at hand." Ororo offered. "If the government knew about the attack on the Institute and even approved it. What are we supposed to do now? Run away and hide? … Fight?"_

" _Neither." The Professor shook his head, his eyes straying to his oldest friend. "I know some people think me too passive, but I never intended for the Institute, or the Manhattan Academy, or any at all, to become a hideaway. It's meant to be a sanctuary... and not even a permanent one. It's only supposed to last until humans are ready to accept us..."_

" _It's been almost fifty years since the American government was first faced with the existence of mutants, and their reaction right now is no different than it was back in '62." Mystique pointed out in a 'told-you-so' tone._

" _That is, sadly, true." The Professor nodded. "And while I will admit that the path I chose to take back then, pulling away, keeping ourselves safe, if secluded, might not have been the best option. Yet, you must also realize that yours wasn't the best either."_

_Mystique looked a bit affronted, possibly petulant, but Erik just nodded._

" _We did some good things." He stated seriously. "Even if not all worked out like we wanted."_

_He was talking about the Kennedy assassination, which he'd tried to prevent... and that was a whole other mess that, even with his memories, neither Marie nor I could fully comprehend. On the other hand, there were the instances where their intervention had been good: like all the labs they'd dismantled, all the mutants they'd rescued (some of which had been children, who'd ended in the school), the adults who'd also been saved (like the soldiers in Vietnam...)._

" _What we need here is some compromise." The Professor went on. "To remain peaceful, show we're the better men... while at the same time making the humans in power realize that we won't cower, that we won't let our people be persecuted, hurt, killed, for being different."_

" _We won't be starting any fights, but if they try coming to our doors again, we will fight back." Wolverine summarized, in agreement with the plan._

" _That's all well and good regarding any possible future attacks, but what's the strategy for right now?" Scott inquired. "What do we do about the people who approved an attack on us already? Or do we do nothing?"_

" _We cannot do nothing." Marie blurted out._

" _Indeed." I agreed. "We won't start any fights, I agree with that. And they might, sooner or later. But if at all possible, we should try to make it so there won't ever be any fights."_

" _And how do we do that?" They were all looking at me, curious._

" _By showing them the consequences of their actions." I stated strongly. "We have those files Mystique got from Stryker's offices. And what we hacked from the base in Alkali Lake before we went in... we go to the president with all that. We show him the truth, the children Stryker went after, and hurt. Lets see if, faced with all that, he can keep believing that mutants are any less human than him, than all of them..."_

_Mystique actually smiled at that. I wasn't sure why, until Marie projected the line that her mind was practically screaming, mentally: president McKenna saying something about how the last thing they needed was the image of a dead mutant child on the six o' clock news._

" _So what? One of you," Scott waved at the Professor, Jean, and belatedly at Rogue. "Mind-whammies several people in the White House so we can get in to see the president and then... we show him what Stryker was really doing and hope he will see how wrong it was?"_

" _It'd be a bad idea to manipulate anyone to get in and see the president." Marie said quietly. "It might make them afraid, instead of helping us convince them to trust us. I mean, yeah, we all know we could get into the White-House. Several of us are telepaths, Kitty can walk through walls, Mystique can impersonate anyone she wants... and that's just for a start. But the whole point of talking to the government is to convince them that we're not going to do that sort of thing, that we're not going to abuse our gifts, or hurt anyone, so they might trust us."_

_She was right, and we all knew it... which put us straight back to square one._

" _I could help." None of us expected it when Aunt Kathryn spoke. "The name of Kathryn Adler is still well-known in certain circles. I'm fairly confident I could get someone in to see the president. What happened once there will be up to you."_

And so the plan had begun. The second thing we'd decided was that it wouldn't be either the Professor or Magneto going in to see the president. Magneto was obvious enough (being a well-known 'terrorist' and all). The Professor would probably have been the best option in some ways, except for where him putting himself out there would have been a huge risk on the Institute. There was a reason why Jean was usually the one who attended forums and debates to speak on behalf of mutants, rather than the Professor.

I still wasn't quite clear on how I ended being the one appointed to act as representative, though. Other than the fact that it was easier to get me in that it would have been with anyone else. Still, it wasn't Silbhé Salani who attended that first meeting, but rather Arianna Adler, adopted daughter of former-agent Kathryn Adler... it was safer to work with assumed names.

The first meeting came then and I arrived to the White-House in the company of Aunt Kathryn (as she was the one getting the doors open, figuratively speaking), Wolverine (as everyone had insisted I needed a bodyguard) and Mystique, still in the guise of Senator Kelly, as the man was the strongest advocate for the mutant cause.

_The blonde hair was part of the disguise from the start, and I'd chosen to wear a black dress with a modest cut and black low-heels in an attempt to give a proper first impression. Aunt Kathryn looked very distinguished in a long tunic-style high-necked, white shirt with black buttons, black slacks and an off-white jacket. The best we'd managed with Wolverine was to get him to wear the X-Men suit, which actually served to emphasize his position as both part of that group and my bodyguard for the meeting._

" _Good evening Mr. President, Mrs. Vicepresident, Senator Kelly, Secretary Rockwell." Aunt Kathryn greeted each of the men in the room in turn._

" _You asked for this meeting, Ms. Adler, and here we are." The Vicepresident, Amelia Addams, stated in a very formal tone._

_Very few people knew it, but Amelia Addams had once been Agent Mia Masen (Addams being her married name), she'd worked for the FBI and later on joined SHIELD. That was how she knew Aunt Kathryn, and how we'd gotten an invite into the Oval Office with her, President McKenna, Senator Kelly and the new Secretary of Domestic Security and Defense (taking Stryker's place): Matthew Rockwell._

" _I did." Aunt Kathryn nodded, before motioning for me to step forward. "If I may, this is my daughter: Arianna Adler."_

" _I wasn't aware you had married." The Vicepresident commented, sounding honestly surprised._

" _I didn't." Kathryn stated calmly. "I adopted Arianna when she was three. And she's the reason we are here today..."_

" _What can be so special about her to brings us all here..." The Secretary began in a dismissive tone, Wolverine's growl made him turn to face him. "And who's he?"_

" _You may call me Wolverine, bub." He huffed._

" _Mr. Howlett is here for protection." Kathryn began, and I could sense she was growing tenser._

_Really the people in the room weren't being welcoming at all; were hardly paying us enough attention to be considered polite and I had no doubt they were waiting for the first opportunity to dismiss us all. I knew I had to do something, I had been given a very important task, and I could not fail. The fate of too many people was on my shoulders in that moment, and while the weight should have pushed me down, it didn't... instead it made me straighten up and step forward, words coming from my mouth before I'd fully decided on what to say._

" _If I may, madam, gentlemen." I stated softly but with all the authority I could muster. "While my given name is Arianna Adler. Some people call me Canary. And that's what brings me here today, what brings all of us here today."_

" _Canary?" Rockwell snorted. "Is that because of your hair?"_

_I could see more than one person take offense at the jibe, but I didn't, instead I took a deep breath and then began humming. Nothing special, a very basic tune, the effect was obvious soon enough, as the illusion began taking shape, like brushstrokes of color in the air. It was nothing too elaborate, but certainly enough to make everyone take notice. I allowed it to continue for nearly a full minute, drawing vague pictures in the air before eventually vanishing them._

" _That's why they call me Canary." I stated softly. "I suppose there's no need for me to specify just who it is that calls me that."_

" _You're one of them!" President McKenna practically gasped. "One of the muties!"_

" _The correct term is mutant." I stated evenly. "Or homo sapiens superior, if one wishes to get technical. Someone has also suggested the scientific term: homo mutandis, which would be technically correct as well."_

" _Homo superior?" Rockwell hissed. "Are you claiming to be above us now?"_

" _I've made no such claims." I stated strongly. "I am just giving you the right words to use when referring to use, in case you don't know them."_

" _What do you want with us?" Addams asked, sounding just a tad politer than the others._

" _To talk." I said honestly. "It's why I'm here, why we're all here."_

" _What could we possibly have to talk about?" McKenna said in a lofty tone._

_Wolverine pushed away from the wall then, it seemed like he was about to say something, but I managed to raise a hand to stop him just in time._

" _Let me handle this, please." I told him quietly. "This is why I'm here, after all."_

_He grumbled under his breath but kept quiet._

" _What do we have to talk about?" I asked next, turning back to face the other man. "How about the military attack on a private school perpetrated last week? An attack, I should add, you personally authorized, Mr. President."_

_No one said a word at that, seemingly without words._

" _We would never authorize an attack on a school..." The Vice-president stated, horrified._

" _We're not saying you did, ma'am, but he did." I signaled to McKenna. "He gave Colonel William Stryker green-light to invade private property; to send armed men into a house full of innocent children. Why? Because they were different? Because they were mutants?"_

_As if to emphasize my words, Aunt Kathryn very deliberately threw the file on the table in the middle of us all, flicking her wrist in such a way the contents slid every which way, allowing the pictures to be seen before anyone could stop it from happening._

" _Oh my god!" Addams immediately reached for one of the security pictures depicting the six children who'd been prisoner in Alkali Lake. "Are these children alright?"_

" _They are now." I told her politely. "We personally went to get them back, along with Professor X and another of our teachers; whom Stryker had kidnapped and intended to use as part of a plan to destroy mutant-kind as a whole."_

" _I'm sure you're exaggerating..." McKenna began, though it didn't sound that even he believed that, not really._

" _Colonel William Stryker was a patriot..." Rockwell began._

" _William Stryker was a monster!" I interrupted him sharply, finally reaching the end of my patience. "A monster who lead an attack on a school full of children, who ordered his men to shoot, not caring who might end up dead in the process. Who took six of those minors and put them in a cage, as if they were animals, or worse. He's a monster who experimented on his own son, used him as a weapon, as a tool, in order to try and destroy mutants as a whole. And why? Because we aren't like him? From where I'm standing that's a good thing!" I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, knowing I wouldn't manage anything otherwise. "Did you know he was the one who arranged for your assassination?"_

" _What?!" No one was expecting that one._

" _It's true." I fished the relevant papers from the pile and pushed them at his direction. "It was only because his brainwashing stopped working earlier than planned, and hadn't been as strong as he'd expected, that the attempt failed at all."_

" _Where is this... man, now?" Addams inquired softly, looking at the files._

" _Recovering in a safe, secret, location." I answered somewhat evasively. "Nightcrawler is a very religious man, as a result of his upbringing... he feels terribly about the hurt he was forced to cause and might take a while before he feels ready to return to society."_

" _And what about the mutant who was used to control him?" Senator Kelly asked next._

" _Dead." I decided to go with the story we'd concocted. "He, along with Stryker and a number of his men were in their facility at Alkali Lake when the dam collapsed. We went in to get back our people, they attempted to stop us, almost killed a couple of us, and in the confrontation the dam was damaged. Our abilities allowed us to survive, the same couldn't be said for them."_

" _One might think you left them there to die." Rockwell spat._

_I opened my mouth to say something, but Aunt Kathryn beat me to it._

" _Tell me something, Secretary Rockwell, if the fire-alarm began ringing right now, what would you do?" She inquired. "Don't think about it, just answer."_

" _Run, of course." He actually rolled his eyes at her._

" _And if Mr. President died?" She asked, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes at making her point. "Because you didn't stop to make sure he was running fast enough, that he make it out? What then? Would you say that you killed him? Would anyone else? Simply because your priority was to save your own life? The priority of the X-Men that day was to save the children and their comrades, not a group of soldiers that had done nothing but try to kill them time and again. And why should they have done anything different? What do you think the X-men owed them?"_

That had been the first meeting, and it really hadn't gone that well. While Addams was somewhat sympathetic to us and to our cause, it wasn't enough when Rockwell was so against us, and McKenna didn't care at all.

Things improved a year later, though, when David Cockrum was elected president. Bartemius Trask was Secretary of Defense, which didn't really help us, as he was nephew or something of Bolivar Trask II, the CEO of Trask Industries, and we all knew what they thought about mutants (and what they'd done, more than once). At least Cockrum was willing to talk to me, to us, which was more than we'd had before.

While we were hopeful that the new president would bring new opportunities for talks and true improvements in the human/mutant relations, we still weren't expecting it when we got the call that the president would like to meet us at our earliest convenience. Still, it was too great an opportunity to let go, so we went.

_Aunt Kathryn was no longer attending the meetings by that point, she'd actually stopped by the third, considering it was necessary to separate her agent-self from what we were trying to achieve. Also, that was the first time that Marie accompanied me as my PA/bodyguard; having worked like crazy for several weeks to attain full control of her newest mutation (Mystique's) until she was capable of shifting into another person and not lose the shape even if she got distracted or surprised. Still, her change wasn't very serious, mostly because the mutation was still new in her, and hadn't fully developed into what Mystique herself was capable of. Marie could change her hair-color, eye color, and basic features, but that was it. For her new identity she'd chosen short blonde hair, lighter-green eyes and sharper features, deciding that would make her look different enough. For the meeting she chose to dress smartly, in a royal blue, round-necked top, black slacks, black suit-jacket and leather-boots; while I was wearing a pale-blue button-up, a dark-gray knee-length pencil-skirt and boots._

" _Good morning ladies." The president received us, surprisingly alone except for one woman, his assistant, Vivian Turner. "Are we expecting anyone else?" He turned to look briefly at the notes on his desk. "There was mention of a bodyguard in my predecessor's notes."_

" _Yes..." I began, feeling a bit lost still at the huge difference in attitude, and suddenly not sure of how to explain anything._

" _I'm her new bodyguard." My sister announced smoothly, no sign of her usual southern accent in her voice. "It was our understanding that President McKenna and his cabinet found Wolverine somewhat...unsettling, at times."_

" _I see." It was obvious the man was surprised, but still he recovered rather quickly. "And may I know your name? Miss..."_

" _Marian Carlyle, though some call me Echo." She introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. President."_

" _Yes well, I can assure you the pleasure is all mine Miss Canary, Miss Echo." He said in a very polite manner as he went to his seat. "Now if we could all take our seats, we might begin."_

" _You called us here Mr. Cockrum." I stated simply._

_I took the offered chair while my sister, taking her new post of bodyguard very seriously, went to stand to a side. Her actions made it seem like she... we trusted the humans enough to allow some distance between us; and while that wasn't exactly a lie, truth was that I wasn't defenseless, and if necessary she could have been by my side in a second._

" _That I did." He agreed. "If I may be candid Miss Canary. I think we will both agree that human/mutant relations aren't where they should be, in this day and time. Our world has known in one way or another that mutants exist for the last fifty years. And yet we're still treating one another like alien creatures... that needs to change."_

" _I completely agree Mr. President." I nodded. "I'm sure you know already, I tried to establish a line of communication with your predecessor, yet it didn't work."_

" _I am not my predecessor." He said very seriously._

_I didn't need to say that I could see it, it was obvious enough._

" _Now, first there are some things I would like to clarify, so we might all be on equal footing, you understand?" He said amenably._

" _Of course." I agreed. "Where would you like to begin?"_

_We talked about many things: the Institute, Professor X (both in terms vague enough to keep them safe); and then came the harder topics._

" _According to records, Erik Lehnsherr, alias Magneto, escaped prison the morning after William Stryker's attack on your Institute... he's been missing since. Same with his known lieutenant, Mystique. What I would like to know is, do any of you know their past or current whereabouts?"_

_I didn't answer, to be honest I had no idea how to. I'd known all along that if ever got far enough to have an honest exchange with the government the topic of the former Brotherhood leaders would come up sooner or later. I still wasn't prepared._

" _Might I remind you that, should you have any idea of where they might be, or might have been, you're obligated by law to answer the question, otherwise you and your people could be charged with aiding and abetting a known felon? In this case a processed and convicted terrorist?"_

_I wasn't expecting it when Marie spoke up:_

" _Did you know Erik Lehnsherr was never truly sentenced?" She asked unexpectedly, as she got closer. "I know because I searched the transcripts of the 'closed-doors' trial. The only crimes the court had any proof of would have been either Criminal Tampering in the 3_ _rd_ _Degree, or Criminal Mischief in the 1_ _st_ _Degree, and that only if you could convince an impartial jury that mutant gifts are equivalent to explosives, which could be considered an attempt at discrimination similar to those who likened our powers to weapons when first proposing the Mutant Registration Act three years ago." She cocked her head to a side. "Criminal Mischief in the 2_ _nd_ _Degree was another possibility, as the damage caused easily exceeds the 1500 dollars. Even then, the maximum sentence for the two combined doesn't exceed the seven years; and while it is true Magneto did nowhere near that time, then we have the conditions of his imprisonment. Lets start with the solitary confinement; which is meant to be either used as an additional punishment when the prisoner violates prison regulations or if necessary to ensure his well-being. Magneto's situation was neither. Also, while the use of a plastic and glass prison is understandable, the level of deprivation of all things magnetic the wardens pushed for were equal to submitting someone human to sensory deprivation, a form of torture. And I believe the law is against such things in this country." Her eyes narrowed. "And that's without going into all the years he spent in a certain cell at the bottom of the pentagon, for a crime he didn't actually commit! You don't think anyone has actually forgotten that, do you?"_

" _Magneto attempted to kill hundreds of people from all around the world at the Peace Summit that day!" Turner almost cried out._

" _Are you sure about that?" My sister asked with a perfectly blank expression. "Because there is no proof that he was doing such a thing. All anyone saw coming from the Statue of Liberty was a sphere of energy and light, which in the end didn't hurt anyone. There's no proof whatsoever that that light would have harmed anyone, or done anything at all, really."_

_And just like that, Marie had solved our troubles. I had no words, and it was quite evident that the President and his assistant were in similar states. I had no idea if I could have ever convinced them of the former Brotherhood leaders being good... but it was no longer necessary. With those words it'd been made clear enough that if we did know where Magneto was, there was little point to finding him, because they'd never be able to prosecute him, and if they tried... well, we had more than a few resources at our disposal. There wasn't even any need to bring Mystique up._

" _Very well." President Cockrum spoke after what seemed like forever. "I suppose that, in the eyes of some, Magneto and his Brotherhood are nothing more than activists... who might have gone too far at one point. But there's no reason to believe there will be a repeat. After all, this is a new start to us all, the beginning to better relations between humans and mutants."_

" _There's nothing we could ever want more." My sister and I agreed wholeheartedly._

Erik had been absolutely gobsmacked when we had explained to him and Charles how to meeting had gone, Marie going as far as projecting her memory of the event to them so he would believe what we were saying. It was obvious that, much as he might try to support the Professor and his ideals, until that moment he hadn't truly believed true peace would ever come.

It'd taken almost a full year, but eventually things had gotten to a point where Cockrum informed us all he was creating a new position in his cabinet: Secretary of Mutant Affairs. It was the final step into securing better relations with the mutant community. Initially the position was offered to me or to my PA (by that point 'Marian' had proven that even without a degree she was quite knowledgeable when it came to the law). We declined, though, neither of us having truly any interest in the position. I also didn't think it was fair, as we weren't politicians, lawyers, not even activists. The only reason we'd been doing the work thus far was because I had the right connections to get me through the door of the White House. But that wasn't needed anymore. So after consulting it with Charles, Erik and the X-Men, everyone agreed that there was one man who truly deserved it: Dr. Hank McCoy.

Of course, it seemed we could never have something good happening to us without something else complicating things. We arrived to the Institute in time to catch the tail-end of what was fast becoming an old argument between Ororo and Logan. The two had been training those who were to become the next generation of X-Men, and which consisted of Colossus, Shadowcat, Jubilee, Nightcrawler and Psylocke.

It wasn't easy. Psylocke was one of the former Brotherhood members who'd chosen to follow Magneto and Mystique to Westchester two years earlier. The others had been Phat and Quill, though only the psionic girl was interested in joining the X-Men; while others like Calypso and her Omegas still reported to Mystique on odd happenings, but weren't interested in the Institute. It wasn't easy because no one had forgotten that the Brotherhood had once been their enemies, and it wasn't easy for some people to trust those they'd believed to be opponents for so long.

Initially Rogue had been in line to be part of the team, but she hadn't lasted even one training session, the way the others looked at her, at her array of powers... there had been shock there, nervousness, and not a small amount of fear. In the end Rogue refused to work with people who feared her for what she was born as. Then she'd become my PA and what time she didn't spend finishing her high-school studies or perfecting her powers, she spent with me in meetings, so there was no time for anything else.

There were plans, with Hank having taking his new post I was no longer the human/mutant Liaison, nor was Rogue my PA. She was finished with her high-school studies, and had yet to decide what she wanted to do about college. Wolverine, Magneto, Mystique and I had all trained with Rogue with no problem, and suggestions had been made, about making us our own team. Though nothing definite about that had been decided yet.

"They're not ready." We both heard Wolverine telling Storm, and not for the first time. "Until those brats can get their head on straight and start looking at each other as teammates rather than potential enemies they will never be ready."

There was no answer forthcoming from Storm, she probably knew he was right.

In any case, Logan's attention didn't stay on the trainees for much longer; seconds after we'd crossed the doorway, he was turning in our direction.

"Girls..." He greeted, though I couldn't miss the way his eyes stayed on my sister.

"Logan..." She smiled at him, voice dripping with her southern accent. "And just why were you subbing for Cyclops again?"

"One-Eye is busy with Jeanie." Logan answered with a shrug.

"Again?" I asked, unable to help the hint of worry from my voice.

"It's getting worse." Ororo admitted quietly. "Jean's hardly sleeping anymore. Even with the Professor's help, and Rogue's..."

"We need a more permanent solution." Logan finished for her.

"She needs to confront her true power, the other side of her personality, take control before she loses it completely." I stated grimly.

They knew I was right. Jean's powers had been getting away from her over the last two, possibly three years. And then it came out, the one thing only Charles and Erik had known: Jean's mind was fractured, had been for a very long time, almost since her powers manifested (more precisely, since she'd 'died' along with her best friend... she'd never fully recovered). Back then Jean had been too young and immature to deal with it, so Professor Xavier had sealed that other, more volatile personality, to keep her safe. But that wasn't working any longer. Cyclops stayed with her, as her match, her anchor, as he was the only one who help her find her balance when her power went haywire; but that wasn't enough. What Jean needed was to face her other personality, Phoenix, and put herself back together. She was old enough, strong enough to do it... but she needed to do it before Phoenix became more powerful than her.

Then, as if that weren't enough, we all heard it suddenly:

*If you would all join us in the study.* Charles's voice rang in all our heads. *Mystique has brought rather... pressing news.*

We didn't say anything to each other, even as we all, as one, began walking in the right direction; we still knew that whatever was going to be said, it couldn't be good.

It really wasn't.

The Professor, Magneto and Mystique were waiting for us in their study, with Aunt Kathryn as final member of the group (she'd handed in her notice to the hospital in Westbrook after the events at Alkali Lake, joining the Institute's staff as full-time nurse, had been a great help when Jean's condition forced her to push aside some of her duties as medical personnel). Scott and Jean were the only ones missing, resting after her latest episode.

"What's going on?" Kathryn asked what I knew was in all our minds.

"As you're all aware, even being here Magneto and I have retained a number of contacts, mutants who were once part of our Brotherhood." The shifter stated in a proud tone. "One approached me a month ago to inform me of some worrying rumors. So I went and did some undercover work to find out the truth."

"The truth?" Wolverine asked gruffly, he hated cryptic remarks.

"A major pharmaceutical company has developed a way to suppress the mutant X-gene, in a permanent way." She informed us all, grimly. "They're calling it a cure."

"Since when did we become a disease?" Storm asked, mouth twisted in a scowl.

"How sure are they that it works?" Charles inquired, worried.

"Just who dared do something like that?" Erik asked at the same time.

"They're pretty sure, apparently, though even the files didn't go into detail what exactly that was supposed to imply." Mystique answered in an almost-hiss. "As for who's doing this. That would be Warren Worthington II and Kavita Rao, working for Worthington Labs."

"I warned you Charles!" Erik practically snarled as he turned to face his partner. "I told you it would come to this. Them against us! It's our extermination they want, what they've always wanted and you didn't believe..."

"ENOUGH!" I yelled, pushing as much power as I could into my voice, before rounding on Erik. "Are you really going to do this right now? Now when we need to stand together more than ever? One man wants to erase mutants by suppressing their birthright, yes. He's wrong, there's no doubt about that. But it's not like it was Charles's doing. And that one man is either insane, afraid or simply ignorant enough to wish for something impossible, to erase a whole race from the face of the Earth, does not mean that all of humanity is to blame!"

That certainly shut Erik up, or if not my words at least the fact that I was daring to speak up against him when he was in such a mood (even Mystique didn't do that).

"Silbhé's right." Charles stated quietly, placing a hand on his partner's arm. "I do not agree with what Worthington is doing, my friend, but we're still the better men. We will deal with this, we will deal with whatever may come our way." He took a deep breath. "Now, the first order of business would be to investigate this more deeply." He turned to Raven. "Did you find anything in your research about how they intend to handle things?"

"Right now it's supposed to be voluntary, you take it if you choose to do so but..." The blue woman shook her head. "You know I'm with Erik on this one, Charles... they will call it voluntary at first, but what happens when they realize we have no interest in being cured? That we're happy being who we are. How long until someone begins calling for mandatory use of the so-called 'cure'. Maybe at first it will be just a measure for criminals, or the sick... until the day it'll be just one more vaccine applied to every child during their check-up!"

"We won't let it get that far." Charles stated, a hint of steel in his voice.

"You promise?" In that moment she sounded so soft, so vulnerable, more Raven Xavier than Mystique, like the young, insecure girl only four of us had ever seen (even if two of us, only through the eyes of others).

"I promise you, my dear." Charles assured her, before turning to look at Erik. "We will protect our own. No matter what."

Erik nodded, just once, nothing more was necessary.

"What of those who genuinely want it?" Rogue's question threw everyone off kilter.

"What...?!" They were all looking at her in shock.

"I'm not talking about myself!" She hurried to reassure us all, then added more quietly. "Not right now." She took a deep breath. "But I know myself. I love my power, right now. It's a gift like I could have never imagined deserving... the things I've been able to do thus far, and that I might be able to do in the future... yet its hard. The cost of my gift..." She illustrated the point by showing her gloved hands to everyone. "If I didn't have my sister, I don't know that I would be able to bear it. If I could touch no one... I would be seeing this as a cure."

It was my turn to illustrate a point. As I very methodically pulled off one of her gloves, before wrapping her bare hand in both of mine, and then kissing her brow.

No words were said, but they all got the point. Each mutant had a gift, and a cost for that; and there just might be some for whom the gift wouldn't make the price worth it.

**xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

The 'cure' was announced the following day, in a press conference in Alcatraz Island, the former prison having been turned into a lab. The official opening of the first facility to apply the 'cure' happened a couple of days later. It all went to plan for them, except for one single detail: the young man who was meant to be an example, Warren Worthington III, with a mutation of bird-like wings on his back, refused to take the injection in the last moment, breaking a window and flying away.

"This might actually help us, our cause." The Professor stated.

"If their own poster-child for the cure is refusing it..." Mystique drawled.

"We need to be ready." Kathryn said, surprising everyone.

"Why...?" They didn't understand what it was she was thinking, exactly.

"That boy might be the first, but won't be the last." Kathryn explained her line of thought. "And those mutants will need a place to go to... a sanctuary..."

Arrangements were made. Thankfully President Cockrum was on their side... or at least he was neutral enough to see their point as well. The Xavier Institute was declared as a sanctuary, with benefits similar to those of a foreign embassy (mainly: the grounds were subject to the mutants' own laws, their protection), American authorities had no power inside the estate, anyone who reached the place gained the status of refugee), also the leaders of the Institute and some of the X-Men gained a status similar to that of Foreign Ambassadors (the most important part being they had diplomatic immunity and protection). They were the kind of things that would have seemed impossible just eighteen months before.

Still, that didn't make any of them complacent. Not at all. Evacuation plans were made, drills, all kinds of contingencies in case of a variety of emergencies. If another attack came, either to the Institute or one or more mutant in particular, they would be ready.

As expected, mutants began arriving the day after the first 'facility' opened in New York; and not all of them were children. Most were teenagers and young adults, the majority runaways, though there were actually some who were taken to the Institute by their parents, older siblings or some other relative, asking them to protect their relative, because they were afraid they couldn't. They all sensed the same thing: the cure was just the start, more was coming, and they needed to be ready, because anything could happen.

Tensions were at an all-time high, as everyone waited for the other shoe to drop; yet when it happened, it did in a way no one had been expecting: a few days after the first mutants began taking the cure, the first center was blown up, by none other than Pyro. And that was just the beginning. In the following days more such centers were destroyed, either by fire or ice; and when not the centers themselves, the trucks carrying the cure.

"You know," Mystique commented to Magneto the day the news announced the third attack. "If we were still the Brotherhood, we would be doing exactly that."

"And as you can probably see the same thing I'm seeing, it still would be making no difference at all." He pointed out. "At least here we're helping out, somewhat, Charles and his children..." He made a pause before adding. "Would you prefer to be out there, causing mayhem?"

"No." She admitted after what seemed like forever. "Not really. And it's not just for the way you just put it. It's just... do you realize that, if we hadn't chosen Charles two years ago, those would be us... and we wouldn't realize how our actions weren't helping any." She chuckled cynically. "We wanted to do so much, and while we did so good, we also made a great many mistakes. We were so self-righteous!"

"Good thing we've since learned from our mistakes." Magneto pointed out. "Even if it took us nearly fifty years."

"I always knew you had it in you, both of you." The Professor said, very softly, as he joined his two oldest friends. "Hopefully one day Bobby and John will see the truth as well. Their acts of vandalism and destruction will not stop Worthington Labs from producing more cure, and it might make others turn against us..."

"We don't have fifty years for them to learn, Charles." Mystique pointed out calmly. "They need to stop, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later."

And as much as the Professor didn't like the implications, he knew she was right.

The arrival of the refugees meant a considerable number of new people living in the mansion, and while everyone, from staff to the youngest students were doing all they could to make the newcomers feel as welcomed as possible, there were still some consequences no one could have planned for. Psylocke had needed some sessions with the Professor to learn to adapt her psychic-shields to the additional minds in her range. The Professor himself, and Rogue, had less trouble with that, if for different reasons. Jean... Jean cracked.

"You need to do this Professor." Silbhé said, very seriously, at the end of yet another argument. "I know it's the worst timing ever, but there simply is no more time. Jean needs to deal with her alter ego now, and to do that she'll need more than just Scott, she'll need you, and you'll need Erik." She let out a breath. "You know you can trust us to handle the home front. Mystique, Ororo and Aunt Kathryn can handle the school, the rest of us will deal with the situation Pyro and Iceman are creating. I promise the world will not have collapsed by the time you get back."

Erik actually snorted at that, though not unkindly, he trusted not only Silbhé but the rest of the X-Men, of his people (who were no longer limited to Mystique and their former Brotherhood, but had since grown to encompass the X-Men, again, and all their students).

"We trust you." The Professor stated with a nod. "And you're right, this needs to be done now." He focused on Mystique. "You have carte blanché right now, keep our people safe."

"I will, brother." The blue shifted assured him softly. "I won't let you down, either of you."

Few people knew what 'carte blanché' meant among the two of them, that she'd permission to become whoever was necessary, Magneto and the Professor himself included; it was hard to know how the X-Men would react to that. Of course, that was the kind of thing she'd only do for an emergency... or to play a prank on her family.

After that the arrangements were made quickly. There was a room, in the basement levels of the mansion. The Empty Room, all psychics called it, the Mirror Room, those who had no psionic powers and therefore couldn't grasp the meaning behind such a room, had named it. Similar to the space Erik had once found in Shaw's submarine. He'd found other similar rooms in various properties of his. It'd taken a while to fully understand how they were built and what they were meant for. In the Institute, it was hardly ever used, but there were times, after a particularly hard battle, where a psychic might find themselves out-of-sorts, needing a moment of absolute quiet. The room allowed for that. It'd also helped Jean when her telepathy began getting the best of her. It would help to ensure that whatever psychic backlash the confrontation between the two sides of Jean's psyche caused, it wouldn't hurt anyone else in the Institute.

Things happened very fast after that. Jean was laid down on a bed in the Empty Room, Scott laying beside her, with Erik and Charles in the other bed. After some final instructions and a warning not to open the doors unless the world was ending, they were sealed inside.

The phone rang several hours later, it was Ororo who answered. At Mystique's insistence she did not say a word about what was going on with the other four, even though it was only Beast on the line (he works for the government, his line is obvious tapped! Had been the shifter's argument). In the end, neither Charles or Erik were really needed, for the time being:

"The government is transferring a couple of mutant criminals to a more secure prison." Ororo informed us once she'd gotten off the phone. "With recent events they fear the transport might be attacked or something. They're asking for us to send X-Men to help guard the convoy for the duration of the trip."

"Who are the prisoners?" Mystique inquired, intrigued.

"James Madrox, aka Multiple Man, convicted of seven counts of felony theft." Ororo stated. "Apparently he robbed over half a dozen banks, at the same time."

"I remember his name." Mystique nodded. "He was on Stryker's files. Good mind, but no impulse control." Which probably explained why she and Magneto hadn't tried to recruit him. "He was going to be caught sooner or later."

"The other is Cain Marko, the Juggernaut..."

Storm broke off at the look of absolute disgust on Mystique's face, the blue woman looked like she might actually be sick at any moment.

"So you know him too." The white-haired woman guessed.

"I did, though not for the last sixty years or so..." No one was expecting it when those words came out of Mystique's... no, Raven's mouth, much less what followed. "I didn't even know he was a mutant, not for sure. He was our step-brother... Charles's and mine, I mean. Son of Sharon's second husband: Kurt Marko. Horrible... awful men, the both of them."

No one knew quite what to say to that. In the end, nothing was said.

"What should we do?" Ororo asked eventually.

"You and Mystique should stay here, along with Aunt Kathryn." Marie stated. "Focus on the Institute and those here. Silbhé and I can lend a hand with the transport."

"I'm going with you." Wolverine announced, it wasn't a question.

The sisters shrugged in easy acceptance. They'd worked together before, it ought to be easy...

**xXx**

At first the 'mission' seemed easy, even boring. Wolverine, Rogue and Hekate (it was another way her identity was protected, Canary had been a diplomat, Hekate was an X-Woman) drove to the Metropolitan Correctional Center for the Southern District of New York; where James Madrox and Cain Marko had been held until their trials. They were being transferred to a special prison in Montrose, Virginia (just outside Richmond). A project that had been started by Stryker and was being continued by Trask; a special center where mutant criminals could be held. Canary and Echo themselves had been invited and even given a tour of the facilities to certify that there was nothing illegal or inhumane going on inside.

The trip was supposed to take just a bit over five hours. It would have been faster in a plane, but someone up high had decided that it was safer to transport the prisoners through the highways. Hence the president asking for at least a couple of X-Men to escort them. Several of the officers in charge of the convoy had actually looked at the two girls and snorted, Hekate knew she wasn't what most would expect a warrior to look like but...

"They know we're X-Men, I mean, a bit hard for them not to when we're wearing uniforms and all, and yet they're still underestimating me just because I'm barely over five feet tall!" Hekate wasn't actually sure if that made her want to laugh, scoff or hit someone.

"Just ignore them, sis." Rogue shrugged a shoulder, clapping a hand on the smaller but older girl's shoulder. "They'll realize the truth when the time is right."

Neither of them could have imagined how right their words were. They'd just crossed from Maryland and into Virginia, when an explosion seemed to rock the very Earth underneath them.

*They're here!* Rogue yelled across the psychic bond they were using in place of comms (as it was safer and ran less risk of interference).

There were two loud thuds, something that almost sounded like static in the bond for a second before correcting itself.

*Iceman is at the front.* She announced. *He froze the road enough to make the two patrol cars at the front skid, I jumped out. Am fine.*

*Pyro is at the back.* Hekate announced grimly. *He blew up the last car in the convoy, tried to do the same to this one. I'm doing my best but I cannot keep shielding forever.*

*I'll distract him, you get the civilians out of the way.* Wolverine instructed.

Neither girl got to ask how he was planning on doing that, it wasn't really necessary. Wolverine got off the cab of the trailer carrying the prisoners , before running across said trailed, to finally jump off it and straight at the pirokinetic.

Rogue cursed loudly, out-loud and in her mind when she realized the trailer hadn't stopped yet, which forced her to spin around and raise both hands abruptly, calling on her magnetic powers to force the trailer to stop before it could either crush her or skid on the iced road.

"Interesting powers you got there Rogue." Iceman commented flippantly.

He sounded so much like the Bobby Drake she'd known, all flirty quips and teenage bravado... Rogue wanted to believe he was still that boy, that he... that they could go back to how things had been, before Alkali Lake, before the attack to the Institute. But that was impossible, as much for him as it was for her. They weren't the same people they'd had been. She didn't even need her telepathy to know that, it was in his eyes.

She was about to say something, when Wolverine's howl rang all around, the cry of a wounded animal... she flinched almost violently at the echo of pain that reached her through the bonds.

"Logan!" She screamed, losing interest in Iceman instantly.

The boy didn't like that, he threw what looked like icicles straight at the green-eyed girl, who called on the broken fender of one of the crashed cars to block the attack, before using the same piece of metal to push the younger mutant and almost send him flying. The moment she was sure he wouldn't be bothering her, at least not for a while, Rogue calling on the magnetism of the trailer, but instead of moving it, she used it to move herself, practically flying down the road, in the direction of her team.

Wolverine was healing, and healing fast, though it was obvious that he'd been burnt badly, so much it was taking even him quite a while to recover; and he wasn't invulnerable, he could still feel the pain. Hekate was using her version of telekinesis and something that seemed to be like shields, to counter each new flame Pyro created. It wasn't easy and anyone could see she wouldn't be able to keep going at it forever.

Rogue was still running in their direction, when she suddenly became aware of another mind.

"Sister watch out!" She yelled.

It was too late by then, a shockwave impacted Hekate from the side, she'd been so focused on keeping up with Pyro she didn't see the attack coming and was sent flying, eventually impacting, rather painfully, on some shrubbery on the side of the road.

"HEKATE!" Rogue screamed in horror.

Rogue had no idea who the new mutant, a woman, was; she just followed her instincts, using her magnetic powers to manipulate the empty patrol car on the side of the road, pushing it at the woman. She used her own gift on it, enough power to half-flatten it, but in the end Rogue was stronger, or possibly just angry enough to get the upper hand.

She paid for the distraction, though; she didn't see Pyro coming her way until he was already upon her, hands closing around her neck. The pirokinetic had failed to take one thing into account though: ever since her sister had entered her life, Marie had stopped being so self-conscious, so afraid of herself. She wore long sleeves and gloves, for her safety as much as for that of others, yes; but she no longer wore high-necks and scarves; which meant that when Pyro tried to strangle her, his hands ended touching her bare skin. One thing she'd learned early on was that her gift ran through all her skin, not just her hands. It was one thing he was finding out the hard way.

Pyro and Rogue screamed in unison. He pressed his hands, his nails into her neck, trying to kill her, even as her skin kept draining him. The green-eyed girl had no strength to move away, all she could do was try to keep breathing; she could see as black veins appeared on Pyro's arms, his face, the veins on his eyes growing sharper even as his skin paled... it was too much.

"Let go!" She screamed at him. "You have to let go!"

It was useless, they were both too far gone. Even calling on fire, taking advantage of the flames still licking the patrol car he'd blown up, wasn't enough anymore. A column of fire enveloped both teenagers, and blood-curling screams could be heard for miles.

Then it was over.

**xXx Rogue's POV xXx**

A woman baking bread; a boy biting into a bright, red, candy apple; drunks bikers, drugged trailer-drivers, ill-natured woodsmen; a man fighting in a cage; a girl shaking, contemplating her gloved hands; a gruff man smoking a cigar and showing off the claws coming from the back of his hands; a kind old, bald man in a wheelchair, with eyes that seem through people and able to speak directly into others' minds; an insane old-man bent on mutant supremacy; an old man who's suffered through the worst the world has to offer and is too afraid to fail again; a man who loses everything including his own name, and all he has left in the end is the name of a creature from a legend, the cursed lover of the moon; a girl surrounded by roses and a song that goes straight to the heart; a girl full of kindness and understanding, a friend; boys and girls finding themselves; a man who's witnessed some of the greatest cruelties in the world and somehow still manages to see the good in everything and everyone; a human woman who's willing to do anything to protect her family; a girl that has found herself with a new family: an aunt, a sister, a new life; a talented woman turned into a machine, a weapon; a man who's fear has driven him into destroying his family and himself trying to attain impossible goals; a woman who hides her fear and sense of inadequacy behind arrogance and grand-standing; a woman who wants to swallow the world before it swallows her and a girl who deep down wants nothing more than to find her way back home; a blonde facade created to fulfill a chosen duty before the humans and a mutant-name that tells everything and at the same time nothing at all; a creature of near-infinite power, chained down, by chains that rust a little more every day; a boy filled by so much fire he's about to burst, and the moment he does, it will consume me and whoever stands near...

Ana Marie D'Ancanto, David Coleman, Rocker, Kingfish, and a half dozen other nameless men, Wolverine, Rogue, Logan, Marie, Professor X, Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr, James Howlett, Canary, Silbhé Salani, Bobby, Kitty, Piotr and so many other children, Charles Xavier, Kathryn Salani, Marie Salani, Yuriko Oyama, William Stryker, Jean Grey, Mystique, Raven Xavier, Marian Carlyle, Echo, Phoenix, Pyro... St. John Allerdyce.

It took what seemed like eternity for me to regain awareness, even unconscious as I still was. There was so much inside my head: memories, thoughts and even feelings of whole lifetimes, I actually lost myself in them for a while; wasn't sure at first what had pulled me back to myself, until I felt it, the colorful cord tied to a corner of my innermost self, like a ribbon made of light, in a blend of every color in the rainbow. I'd heard my sister theorize about such ties, soul-bonds, tying together two people, a perfect match... And I didn't even need to touch it to know who it lead it, I had no doubt about it, it was as obvious to me as flight was for a bird.

"Logan..." His name was the first thing to leave my lips as I opened my eyes.

He was there, right there, by my side, holding my hand in his (I blame my scrambled mind for not being able to grasp the significance of that straight away).

"Marie..." I heard him breathe out.

I actually had to do a double-take at that one, he hadn't called me by my name in a while, I always seemed to be 'kid' to him...

It would be hard to tell if it was his use of my name, the fact that I wasn't fully awake just yet, or something else entirely, but despite the fact that all my gifts were pretty much shot in that moment (I was getting stray thoughts from random people all over the estate, my skin kept rippling without reason, the pungent smell of disinfectant and medicine in the room was making me want to scratch my nose and I was quite sure that the gurney I was laying on was actually vibrating somewhat), I still had no idea what Logan was going to do until he went and did it:

He kissed me.

He Kissed Me...

HE KISSED ME!

My reaction was instinctive, as I pulled back from him, almost hard enough to throw myself off the medical gurney; except in the last moment he managed to stop my fall, taking hold of my arm... my bare arm. I felt fuzzy enough not to react as quickly as I should have, as I would have, under normal circumstances. Seconds passed, and there were no black veins, no paling skin, no panting, weakness, no power filling me, no new memories... nothing was happening. Logan was touching me, skin on skin, and nothing was happening.

"Wondered how long it'd take ya to notice." He said huskily. "I don't know how it's happening, though I'm certainly glad it is..."

"I..." My voice broke, my vulnerability showing in a way I never wanted it too. "Why are you doing this Logan? Why now? After what you said two years ago..."

Two years ago, that was one thing I'd never be able to forget, the wonder, the joy, and also the deep, heart-wrenching pain...

_When Deathstrike was using her nails to repeatedly stab Wolverine I was horrified, and terrified. I wanted to help him yet had no idea how to do it. In the end, I had to try, I threw myself at her, moving for a punch... I didn't actually expect to manage much, she was so obviously stronger than I was... what I was expecting even less, was when a set of claws burst forward from in between my knuckles. They were bone, like Wolverine's had been before the Weapon X project. The benefit? Unlike Wolverine, Deathstrike only had adamantium covering strategic parts of her body, those necessary to make her a better fighter; that allowed her to be lighter, which in turn also made her faster and more agile than Wolverine. In any case, that meant she had no adamantium in her face, which in turn allowed my brand new claws to penetrate through her face and straight into her brain, killing her._

_I was so shocked by the whole thing I didn't realize Stryker had come back until the bullet went into my back and I felt it nick my heart, I collapsed. I might have blacked out briefly, for the next thing I knew Wolverine was holding me in his arms, whispering something quietly as he kept pressing a hand into my bare forehead, much like he'd done a year prior in Ellis Island._

" _'m a'right..." I mumbled as I slowly recovered consciousness._

_When I finally managed to open my eyes properly the first thing I saw was him, looking down at me, his eyes were so deep, and glassy... he'd been crying, for me! I couldn't quite stop myself, and before I knew it I was kissing him. For a beautiful moment, a precious fraction of a second, I truly believed he was going to kiss me back; then I was suddenly back on my feet and he was stepping back, away from me._

" _No kid..." He whispered, voice so very, very soft._

_My heart broke._

We never talked about it, there simply was no time. The dam was breaking and we needed to get out. In the end it was a good thing, I'd felt so terribly in that moment, and couldn't have handled the awkwardness, him reminding me how old he was, how young I was, the possibility that he might see me as a daughter rather than a romantic partner... and that was without counting the kiss with Jean I'd accidentally seen in his head the night before.

Wolverine was my match, my true mate, my soulmate... I knew that, had instinctively known it for a while; and while I never needed any proof, I'd found it in the form of the delicate ribbon of multicolored light tied to the corner of my soul.

Still, as painful as that moment, two years back, had been, that did not explain why he was suddenly holding me, kissing me...

"Two years ago I was stupid, darlin'." He excused himself with a self-deprecating shrug. "I was afraid, terrified, for reasons I couldn't comprehend, still don't... or maybe it's just that I don't remember. I didn't think I could do it, take a True Mate, not for you, or at least, it was nothing against you. I just didn't think you should have to bear that kind of burden."

"That's my choice to make." I blurted out sharply, unable to stop myself.

"I know that, I think I might have known it for a while, but I didn't think that conviction could be enough. Until I realized I could fear something even more than I did actually having you, and that is losing you completely; losing you without ever having the chance to tell you that you're my match and I know it. I..."

I didn't let him say anymore, I didn't need him to. He loved me, and I loved him, and anything else was irrelevant. I took his mouth in mine, letting our souls entwine tighter than ever before. In that moment everything was absolutely perfect...

**xXx**

When I remembered my sister I almost cursed myself out-loud for having ever forgotten about her, even if that had been for less than a handful of minutes.

"She's alright." He assured me quietly, either guessing or somehow sensing what I was thinking. "The little goddess is just fine."

"But... but she..." I couldn't finish my sentence, but there was no need, we both remembered it, the moment Hekate had hit the ground like a rag-doll.

"Cannot say I understand everything, but I promise you darlin', your sister is alright." He stated, honesty reaching me through our bond.

He convinced me, though that didn't mean I wasn't going to go look for her as soon as I could. I'd been undressed at one point, and he offered me a change of clothes: another black-leather X-man suit. I didn't comment, just slipped off the bed in nothing but my underwear and began getting dressed. For some reason I didn't feel embarrassed at all to have him watching me half-naked.

Once fully awake it was a matter of focusing just a bit to be able to track my sister to the main study in the first-floor. Wolverine and I got there just in time to hear someone, a man I didn't not recognize the voice of, berating my people:

"... you were supposed to be there to keep that convoy safe, not contribute to the destruction of it as well as a federal road..." The man was ranting.

I couldn't handle it, before I could think twice about it the door to the office banged open and I stalked straight across the room, until I was standing right before the computer being used for the video-conference.

"You should be focusing on the incompetence of your own subordinates rather than believing you have any authority to rant at my people." The words came out of my mouth in an almost snarl.

Really, there were usually so many people inside my head that we rarely all agreed on anything; even then, the mutants I'd copied permanently were the strongest, and they all agreed with me in that moment: that man had no right yelling at any of us, not at my family!

"Who are you?" He spat at me with obvious derision.

"I am Rogue, I am the leader of the X-Men team that was with the convoy." I stated, raising a hand when he opened his mouth to try and argue further. "And before you even think about insulting me and mine again, let me tell you that what happened was in no way our fault. But your own, or someone from your side in any case..."

He was speechless, thankfully the man at his side had more brains.

"Ma'am." He called, nodding respectfully at me in acknowledgment. "I am General Grissom, first of all I'd like to express my thanks, for your and your team's actions, you saved the lives of most of my men yesterday."

"You're welcome, general." I nodded, showing him the same respect he was showing me.

"If you'd be so kind to clarify your comment ma'am..." He half-requested.

"Of course." I nodded, thinking it over a little before finally speaking. "I wondered, since the mission was announced, why you'd chosen to transport your prisoners in a ground-convoy instead of taking them on a military plane. The trip would have been much shorter, and the likelihood of an attack much smaller. I realize it now. You have a traitor in your midst, general..."

"You're accusing a member of the United States Army of treason...!" The first man (not the general) began with an enraged shout.

"I have no idea if the person is someone who believes in mutant supremacy, or if he wishes to break the bonds of cooperation and good-will between humans and mutants that have been forming over the last year." I went on, paying no attention whatsoever to the man ranting. "However, I believe the second is more likely."

"What makes you so sure someone from our side was responsible?" The General inquired, he didn't seem to think me a liar, exactly, but he still wanted a reason to believe me; which under the circumstances was only natural.

"I saw it in Pyro's head." I couldn't help the flinch as I recalled how exactly that had come to happen, a hand going to my neck, no visible marks on it, though I could still recall the touch of his fingers, the pressure, and the flames... "I will not go into what my gift is, for that is none of your concern. Suffice it to say that I got a glimpse into Pyro's head when he was trying to kill me. He got a call from someone, using voice-altering technology, who told him exactly where the convoy would be, at what time... everything but one thing. He didn't know we'd be there."

"Not that it changed anything in the end, you were still defeated." The other man, whom I'd finally recognized as the assistant to Secretary Trask.

"We were more than just defeated." I admitted grimly. "We were almost killed. If we didn't have the powers we do, all three of us would be dead. Of course, you don't care any about that."

The hateful man opened his mouth to say something else when Grissom shut him up, before turning to us again.

"My apologies, Miss Rogue." He said very formally. "Not everyone on this side values and appreciates the help the X-Men give us, and have been giving us for many years..."

My eyes actually widened as I processed the implications of his words. He knew about Cuba! And possibly about other instances where the X-Men had intervened, like Three-Mile Island... and who knew what else!

"If President Cockrum had approved the proposal for the weaponization of the mutie-cure we wouldn't be depending on freaks..." The AS practically spat.

"That's enough Mr. Andrews!" Grissom interrupted him harshly. "You will leave this room at once and I will be having words with Secretary Trask about appointing someone less bigoted and racist to the position of Assistant Secretary."

The man was quite obviously livid, but there was nothing he could do, he left. Grissom made to apologize again but I just waved my hand in dismissal, I didn't see the point.

"There's no point for you to continue apologizing for a man who never will." I told him. "I hope you realize that it's for men like him that it's taken us this long to be on equal ground: humans and mutants, I mean. Though there's no guarantee things won't slide back, not unless you stop giving bigoted bastards positions of power."

"Regretfully, that's not really up to me, ma'am." Grissom admitted with a resigned shrug.

I knew he was right, much as I hated to admit it; and at least there were some people who were willing to work with us, who truly respected us.

"This so-called cure is just causing trouble." I muttered, mostly to myself. "I hope you realize that's the origin of the problem here, with Pyro, Iceman and their group, I mean."

"You know them then?" Grissom inquired, though it sounded less like a question than it probably should have. "One of my subordinates interviewed the Drake family after the attacks the last few days. They said that the boy, Robert Drake, was a student at your Institute."

"He was." Professor X's voice rang behind me. "Until the night of the regretful attack lead by Col. Stryker... he and young Pyro managed to escape from the soldiers, but they never joined the rest of the students at the safe-house. Neither did they come back after the danger was past."

"And you hadn't seen or heard from them since?" The soldier wanted to confirm.

"We saw what happened in Boston on the news." Storm offered next. "Sent them a number of messages, trying to convince them to return. But neither of them did." She shook her head. "We knew this so-called cure was going to cause trouble, especially among the more ill-tempered mutants. Still, we never wanted it to come to this."

"I used to believe Magneto was our biggest problem." Grissom shook his head ruefully. "When we were told the man was not a danger anymore I thought the President had been blackmailed or something. It's taken this to realize that he was never the worst that could have happened."

"No, he wasn't." Ororo agreed quietly.

"Is this cure really so bad?" Grissom wanted to know. "For your people, I mean?"

"Well, in the first place, I don't understand why they're calling it a cure." Storm explained, taking great care in choosing her words. "We're not a disease, nor are our abilities. I realize," the 'now' went unspoken, "that some mutants might feel their mutations are too volatile. too dangerous, that they would rather give them up. But that's not the case with many of us. I dare say that's not the case with most of us." Her voice gained a hint of steel. "And some people on your side wanting to weaponize that compound won't help matters any."

"It actually might be the heart of the problem." Wolverine's comment surprised us all, he wasn't the kind to speak up most of the time.

Everyone turned in his direction, waiting for him to clarify.

"Pyro burnt me pretty badly, enough that it took me longer than it usually would, to recover from his attack." Wolverine stated. "Enough I couldn't help t... Hekate when she herself was knocked out and thrown aside, or when Rogue and Pyro took each other out, one more permanently than the other." He shook his head and I could feel the ghost of an apology at the crass reminder of what had happened. "In any case, even if I couldn't move, I was still aware enough to see what came next. The kid, Iceman, he completely lost it. He broke the two prisoners out, when the guard inside tried to stop him, he froze the man before breaking him into pieces. The guard made a comment, much similar to the bigot that you sent away, about the weapons they should have had. Iceman stated, very clearly, what he thought about that."

None of us really needed him to say anything else. It was quite clear in that moment:

"They're going after the cure." I whispered.

"They'll be attacking Alcatraz." Several other voices stated at the same time.

"Without a doubt." Wolverine confirmed.

**xXx Hekate's POV xXx**

My sister approached me as soon as we were in the air. There had been no time before as we'd all been busy getting ready to leave the moment the talk with General Grissom ended. We'd no idea when Iceman and his cohorts might be planning to attack Alcatraz, but it probably wouldn't be long, and we'd already lost a little over 24 hours recovering and regrouping; not that we could change any of that, at least Marie and I'd spent the majority of that time either unconscious or sleeping (not the same thing, the former certainly not being as healthy or restful as the later).

"Are you alright...?" She asked me very quietly.

She didn't elaborate, it wasn't necessary, not only because we knew it already, but also because in that exact moment she couldn't help but project her own memory of myself as I went flying a few yards, before landing like a ragdoll on some shrubbery. We both winced at the same time, even as I mentally thanked the stars that I'd been unconscious for that.

"I'm alright." I assured her, pushing the image away. "Not a single bone broken."

It was the truth, as shocking as it was.

"How...?" She asked, half-marveled, half-confused.

"Not entirely sure, but I suspect this has something to do with it..." I lowered the zip of my X-Man suit just enough for her to see the pendant that hung around my neck, a bird with its wings spread wide, connected to a delicate but sturdy chain. "It was around my neck when I woke up, and I don't remember putting it on... well, ever. I don't actually remember having seen it before in my life!" Though a part of me felt like I should have...

"It's metal... yet it has no magnetic properties whatsoever..." Rogue murmured, then revised. "No, wait, I can sense it, which means it must be magnetic to a point... but I cannot manipulate it, it's like my powers cannot reach it..."

"A new piece to the frigging mystery that is my existence, yay!" I cried out with fake-cheeriness and more than a healthy dose of sarcasm.

"If some kind of... power on that thing kept you safe, then it's probably a good thing, yes?" She offered with a smile.

It was most definitely a good thing, even if I couldn't understand... I'd grown used to that after the years since first noticing there were holes in my memories. What I didn't tell her, since I didn't quite know how to explain it, even to myself, was that I felt attached to the pendant, much like I felt towards the dizi... it was important, beyond the miracle it was apparently connected to, even if I didn't know how exactly, or why.

"So... you and Logan..." I decided it was time to change the topic, even as I wagged my eyebrows in a very exaggerate manner.

"Me and Logan..." She repeated and she almost seemed to glow. "How did you know?"

"It's..." I had no idea how to answer that. "I don't know how to explain it but, it's like I can see the bonds between the two of you, except not quite... more like I can sense them. Like I knew when something went wrong between the two of you two years ago... and now things are much better. You... the two of you are almost glowing..."

I knew I must sound absolutely insane, yet Marie didn't say anything like that, she just smiled widely, looking at Wolverine across the blackbird from the corner of her eye.

"We haven't done anything, not really, I mean, I did just wake up and all that an hour ago." She babbled somewhat. "But... I think we're finally in a good place. We know who we are, both to ourselves and to each other. I think that's good."

"It's very good." I assured her.

Neither of us spoke further about it, much as I might love my sister I didn't need to think about what might come later in their relationship. Still, as I watched her step beside Logan, and the way he entwined their hands even as he kept talking to the junior X-Men with no self-consciousness whatsoever... a part of me ached. I wanted that. I had no idea who I was supposed to have it with, but I wanted it so badly...

**xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

The first thing they all noticed upon reaching San Francisco Bay was the ice...

"He's... he's actually freezing the bay." Shadowcat whispered in awe from her spot.

"I suppose it's one way to get to the island..." Mystique drawled.

For the mission all who could be considered X-Men were there: Mystique, Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat, Jubilee, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Rogue and Hekate. One of the newest recruits, Angel (the name Warren Worthington III had chosen) had asked to join too. Kathryn had been left in charge of the school, with the older non-X-Men students to help her. Also, opposite to what some of the humans believed, the Professor wasn't around, he, Magneto, Scott and Jean were still locked in the Empty Room (Mystique had taken the Professor's shape for the video-conference with the General). In any case, in that moment they were all needed.

Truth was they didn't exactly have authorization to intervene in San Francisco. General Grissom had known they were going, and Beast had informed President Cockrum of their intentions, but that was it. They needed to be there, needed to make things right, before someone decided to ignore the president's orders and use the cure as a weapon against any and all mutants. It would only make things worse than they already were (impossible as that might seem).

Storm, with Mystique as copilot, engaged the stealth mode on the blackbird and they landed directly on top of the building.

"Very well," Rogue stepped forward, taking command of the group. "I'm sure we all know this already, but I'll say it anyway: our priorities are to find the boy Worthington Labs is using for the so-called cure, keeping the humans in this island safe, and defeating Iceman and his group, in that order. Our main goal, as the Professor has taught us, will always be to protect, not to destroy, but like Magneto would say, we will not give them the chance to destroy us instead."

Storm didn't say a word, just watched Rogue with a mix of emotions impossible to fully make out; Mystique just smiled, wildly, her expression easy to read: 'This is what things should've been like all along'. Most would probably agree with her.

"Miss Rogue..." Angel began, quietly as he approached her, hesitant.

"Go Angel." Rogue waved her hand at him dismissively, though with a smile. "Find your father, get him out before Iceman or one of those with him kills him and the other scientists here. If you can, get the boy out too."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded solemnly, before moving away.

"The rest, lets go!" Rogue called.

They all fell in step behind her, some more slowly than others. Shadowcat and Colossus hesitated briefly, but after seeing Storm and the others follow, they did the same. Psylocke had just taken a look at Mystique and followed her lead. It was obvious at least some of the younger members of the team had probably been expecting Storm, Wolverine, or even Mystique to take command; but the two women preferred the role of second in command, rather than leader, and Wolverine didn't want to have that kind of responsibility. Rogue was perfect for the job (and certainly had the power to back it up).

Of course, no strategy survives contact with the enemy, soon most of the X-Men were separated, fighting with all they had. It wasn't easy. Iceman had well and truly lost it, he was using his power with little care for life (that of his enemies, his comrades, even his own).

Nightcrawler was helping get as many of the humans out, as fast as possible. He'd teleport them to the ice, halfway to the pier. It was working well-enough, until Iceman became aware of what was going on and turned in their direction.

The screams of some soldiers as they found themselves frozen called the attention of several of the X-Men. Being the one closest, Hekate ran that way. Before the next rush of ice could hit she was standing before the cowering humans, translucent shield before her.

It still took several seconds before they all realized the ice was being stopped.

"What are you waiting for?" She snapped at the humans behind her. "Run!"

The ice-wielder seemed to take her actions as a personal affront and thus focused his power more on her, deciding the humans were irrelevant. At first it seemed like he wouldn't be able to get past Hekate's shield; and he didn't, not really. It took way too long for the hazel-eyed young woman to realize the disadvantage she was in; the fact that she was standing over ice her enemy had created. There was nothing she could do, before she could even think of some kind of strategy, or call for help, the ice under her feet raised around her, enveloping her; instinctively she reached for the bird pendant around her neck with both hands before coldness and darkness took her.

Arclight (the one who'd been with Pyro and Iceman in Virginia) was giving them a lot of trouble with her shockwaves; she'd already injured people, and even killed a few of the humans. Between her and the huge man some were calling Avalanche, whose specialty seemed to be causing earthquakes, at least half of the facility lay in ruins already, and it was becoming harder and harder to get the humans out, even with Nightcrawler and Shadowcat using their abilities to their full-potential, Psylocke and Colossus watching their backs as much as possible.

Mystique was busy with a woman who moved so fast it was probably only Mystique's fifty years of experience that was letting her keep the advantage. Meanwhile Storm had chosen to take the higher-ground (quite literally), she'd created a storm-cloud and kept directing the lightning as necessary to offer the humans some cover and push back the mutants who got too close to over-running them. She was also the one to notice the moment Angel dove from somewhere to catch his father as someone threw him off a balcony in the top-floor. The boy then flew with the man, promising to return as soon as he left him.

"What of the boy?" Rogue inquired through the comms (not everyone trusted her enough to allow a psychic bond).

"Still inside." Storm answered grimly.

"We need to get him before anyone else does." Rogue stated.

Either that, or killed him. She didn't get the chance to say it, as right then her feral instinct yelled a warning, she barely managed to take hold of Wolverine, at her back, throw him down and roll with him before two blades, that were actually made of bone, landed on the ground, right where the two of them had been standing.

"Dammit!" She cursed loudly as she rushed back to her feet.

The two of them had been fighting Madrox's clones for a long while, before eventually managing to knock out the right one. Still, it'd taken too long.

"Rogue...?" Wolverine asked, thinly veiled concern in his voice.

"I need more firepower." She hissed, anger directed at herself rather than him.

He knew what she meant, they both did. Likewise, they also knew that she'd sealed away both Pyro's memories and powers out of necessity. There simply had been no time for her to sift through it all, to deal with it; to assimilate the new piece of herself, the way she'd done with Magneto, Wolverine, the Professor and Mystique in the past. At the same time, she was pragmatic enough to realize that having a gift like pyrokinesis would help their side greatly.

"Are you sure?" Wolverine asked softly but not condescendingly.

"Ice and cold makes metal brittle, so manipulating it won't really get me much." Rogue enlisted. "Shape-shifting and what I got from you might help on hand-to-hand, but we both know that's not going to cut it, not against most of these guys, especially not against Iceman."

"And the telepathy?" Her to-be-mate insisted.

"He's far too gone for me to be able to reach him." She admitted, a part of her hurting for Bobby, much as she might not want to. "It's just... John was Bobby's... I don't even know how to put it. It's like, after the mess in Boston Bobby was forced to rebuild his life, and he did so around John. It's like he was all Bobby had... and now Pyro's dead. Bobby is effectively gone, there's only Iceman left now. This... what's happening here, it's not even about destroying the cure, or mutant superiority, or anything like that; it's much more simple than that: it's about finishing what Pyro started. Seeing his dream fulfilled..."

Wolverine had no reply to that. It was odd, so romantic and so incredibly twisted at the same time... so utterly sad. A part of Rogue wondered what would have become of the two boys, if they'd returned to the Institute after the attack, if they'd never gone their own way... a part of her wondered if it was all her fault. After all, she was the one who sent them away when they wanted to stay, to be of help to her and Hekate...

"You cannot think like that, darlin'..." Wolverine whispered softly, and it was hard to tell if he'd guessed his mate's line of thought, she'd spoken out-loud, or something else. "Because blaming yourself about it would be like blaming Magneto for the attack on the mansion, even though he didn't actually have a choice; or the Professor for never erasing his old friend's memories about the school even though he was right in thinking the other man would never willingly betray him." He shook his head with a sigh. "The point is, you cannot save everyone. You cannot because some people simply don't want to be helped."

Rogue knew he was right, but it still hurt. Not because of Bobby himself, he'd never been more than a casual friend; but the mere thought that he was someone who'd lost himself so badly... the thought of how things might have been, if she didn't have Wolverine, and Hekate, and even he Professor, Magneto and Mystique... her family by choice. The thought of how many other kids like Bobby might be out there in the world... it made her understand the Professor and his goals more than ever before. All he wanted was to protect others; though, like Wolverine had said, they couldn't always protect everybody... it was sad but true.

"I'm going to do it." She announced, squaring her shoulders.

She was worried, worried about her comrades, about the humans they were trying to save, about her sister, whom she hadn't heard from since she went to help those fleeing the island. She knew something happened, but had no idea what exactly; her only comfort was knowing, somehow, that Hekate was still alive.

The touch of Wolverine's hand in hers forced Rogue to focus once again, a second before she tore down the psychic-blocks she herself built around everything connected to Pyro.

"I might burn you..." She warned her mate.

"I've been burnt before." He answered with a light shrug.

It was no laughing matter, they all knew that no one but him could have survived the kind of burns Pyro dealt him.

"I'm not letting go of you Marie." The use of her given name, more than anything else, told her how serious he was about that.

In the end there was no point, and no time to argue about it. Rogue took a deep breath and with a mental touch vaporized the only thing keeping her protected from Pyro. Gaining a mutant's powers permanently through their death was much different from copying them when they were offered freely; even from being able to use them for a short time, when she 'stole' them. His power over fire was edged by his own death, the memories covered in a veil of pain, horror and desperation. Even in his last moments Pyro hadn't understood the consequences of what he was doing; or no, it wasn't that he did or didn't understand, he simply didn't care. At some point he'd simply stopped caring; good or bad, right or wrong, they were all irrelevant, all he cared was about making the world listen to him... even when he himself never knew what exactly it was he wanted to say...

Fire enveloped her then (more figuratively than literally, thankfully), it went over her, yet it didn't take her down, it didn't consume her... it couldn't, because she had an anchor, she had a lifeline, holding her in place, whole and safe... and in that moment Rogue understood the connection between the Professor and Magneto, but more importantly, between Charles and Erik, in a way she never had before, even with all the melded memories.

When the brunette, green-eyed mutant surfaced, she was no longer cold. The air all around her was practically freezing with the barely controlled power Iceman kept exuding, but she wasn't cold at all; the fire was burning inside her.

"Ready, darlin'?" Wolverine asked huskily, even as he extended his free hand towards her.

It took Rogue a moment to finish focusing enough to notice what it was he was holding, what he was offering her: his lighter.

"Show the bastards what you're capable of." He stated with a cocky smirk.

Nothing else needed to be said, Rogue grabbed the lighter. They both knew they'd to split, help those who needed them most.

"Logan." She said hiding vulnerability behind stoicism. "You better not die."

"Same to you, darlin'." He replied, before pulling her to him, stealing a short but dirty kiss.

She didn't complain, just replied to the kiss with the same passion, before letting go, turning around, and walking away without a word. If she looked back she wasn't going to be able to leave her future-mate, and they still had a battle to win!

She passed several groups of humans, stopping briefly to either clear a path for them to run away or to use anything metallic she could take a hold of to push away the less powerful mutants that had followed Iceman to Alcatraz. Eventually she could sense a spike in the coldness all around, she was getting closer to the cryokinetic. And it wasn't only him, as she realized a moment later, watching Colossus fall, his body weakened by the ice. Shadowcat was beside him in an instant, horror painted clearly on her expression.

"Bobby!" She cried out at her former classmate. "Stop it! Please!"

Instead of doing that, the master of ice turned his attention to her, even as she kept trying to wake up her partner (it was something Rogue and Hekate had both insisted on, for the junior X-Men to work in pairs, hoping it would make them at least a little bit safer).

In the last moment, the volley of ice hit a piece of metal that had at one point been part of a gate, instead of the mutant girl. It was cold enough to make the iron crack and eventually break, but still, the objective had been achieved.

"Rogue!" Shadowcat cried out, for the first time in forever seeming truly delighted by the presence of the older girl, no longer nervous or afraid.

"Shadowcat," Rogue nodded at her. "Go."

"But..." The other girl didn't understand. "But I can help."

"No, you can't." Rogue said bluntly, before softening a bit. "You still see him as Bobby, but he isn't Bobby any longer. He's just Iceman, and we need to stop him, for the good of everyone, humans and mutants alike."

"Colossus..." Shadowcat began, quietly.

Rogue took a deep breath and then whistled shrilly. A second later Nightcrawler appeared beside her, ready to fight.

"I need you to take him to safety." She told him, signaling to the unconscious mutant. "Then go back to your partner and tell her you need to get everyone off this island, fast."

Nightcrawler didn't question her, he just nodded, grabbed Colossus and disappeared in a cloud of sulfurous smoke.

"What about me?" Shadowcat inquired.

Rogue wasn't really listening to her in that moment, distracted by Iceman as he himself turned to give an order to the Juggernaut as the huge mutant passed by him.

"Shit!" She cursed out-loud.

"Rogue!" Shadowcat called her attention. "What's going on?"

"Juggernaut is going after the boy, the one who was used to create the cure, the files Mystique got us called him Leech." The green-eyed answer honestly.

"I can get there faster." The other X-woman offered.

Rogue hesitated just for a moment. It was a dangerous mission, but Shadowcat was a capable mutant, she could do it.

"Go." She nodded. "Find the boy, get him out."

Shadowcat was about to run off when she turned back, to where Iceman was getting ready to attack once again.

"Will you be alright?" She asked the older girl very quietly.

"Oh, I'll be just fine..." Rogue stated, allowing some of Pyro's old cockiness to bleed through as she flipped open the lighter Wolverine had handed her, the fire calling to her, a siren's call...

Shadowcat could see the moment the small flame appeared, and as it turned into a ring of fire around Rogue. Iceman let out an inhuman screech a moment before he covered his whole body in ice and threw himself at the new pirokinetic. The girl with the ability to walk through walls shook her head, deciding it was a bad idea to stop and wonder when exactly and how Rogue had gained yet another ability. She had a task, and no one else could do it. So with that in mind she took a deep breath and began running as fast as she could. The life of a little boy depended on her and she wasn't going to fail him.

**xXx Hekate's POV xXx**

When I recovered consciousness of self I didn't quite know how long I'd been gone, though I got the sense it must have been a while. I was still clasping the pendant in both my hands and it was almost like I was seeing myself, on my knees, curled up, looking almost as if I were praying. My skin had a blue-tint to it and something darker, like some kind of markings; and yet, while that should have been a sign that something was really, really wrong with me, I didn't feel the cold. In hindsight that probably should have been another sign... except I knew, instinctively that I wasn't getting frostbite, I wasn't going to freeze up and die. It wasn't only that I didn't feel cold, truth be told, I felt almost warm, an odd warmth that probably wouldn't have registered correctly in any thermometer, but I still felt it inside.

More time, an immeasurable amount of it passed and I slowly realized I was getting stronger. Like some kind of energy slowly filling me up.

It was then that I saw it, not with the eyes in my body, but with something inside me, I saw the end of a colorful ribbon of light, tied to the edge of my soul... I breathed out as the realization hit me: I had a match!

It was as if a part of me had always known, had known and had only been waiting for the rest of me to catch up. But in that moment there was no doubt, and while I still had no idea who my match was, how or when I would ever be able to find him, it all seemed irrelevant in that moment. All that mattered was I wasn't alone, I probably had never been...

That knowledge, that certainty, gave me a strength I didn't believe myself capable of and I pushed away: away from my body, from my prison of ice. Which should have burnt me, the cold giving me frostbite, but it didn't; and in the end it wasn't as strong as I'd feared (or maybe I was stronger than I thought I was). It shattered around me like so much glass.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I got back on my feet. I looked down at my hands, they looked the same rose-and-cream color they always had, but I could almost see a trace of blue in the skin, and I wondered if it was really there or I was just imagining it.

"Sister...?" I heard a voice call quietly.

I spun around automatically, and she was there, my sister, Marie... well, she was technically still Rogue, in the X-Men black-leather suit, which I was also wearing. Wolverine was at her side, and behind them the rest of the X-Men, and the blackbird.

The last part seemed so odd to me I couldn't help but turn to look behind me. The scene I came upon explained quite graphically why the blackbird was no longer on the roof of Worthington Labs... it was because the building was no longer there; nothing but ruins remained of Alcatraz Island, everything having been razed almost to the ground.

It was probably a miracle that we hadn't suffered any real loses; humans had died, I knew not the exact numbers, and there were many injured both among the humans and the X-Men, but no mutant on our side had died.

"Is it over?" I asked, turning back to face Rogue.

"It's over." She nodded. "Iceman is dead, as are most of the mutants who followed him."

"The boy?" I inquired next, remembering what Mystique had told us of the origins of the so-called cure."

"Back there," She signaled to the boy in white standing beside Shadowcat. "It's all been a bit of a shock to him, I think."

"I can imagine." I nodded.

It was also in that moment that I noticed something else, the black-haired, dark-blue eyed woman in the X-man suit a few steps away. I didn't need anyone to tell me who it was, Mystique... I could also sense her disquiet at the loss of her powers in close proximity with the boy. A part of me wondered if perhaps the boy might be able to learn to control his power enough not to affect everyone around him all the time. Even if he didn't I knew of at least two people who wouldn't mind being around him.

"We can go home now, then?" I asked then, suddenly feeling so very, very tired.

"I think it's about time we all went home." Wolverine agreed completely with me.

**xXx**

It was around noon the next day, and most of us were having breakfast (or brunch, or something along those lines), at least those of us who'd gotten out of bed; which actually excluded my sister, who never got to our bedroom the previous night, I imagined she and Logan must be taking some time to be together, alone. In any case, it was around noon and I was having some chocolate-chip pancakes Mrs. Jenkins, the cook, had prepared for Jimmy (which happened to be 'Leech's' given name) and I; when I felt something I identified instantly as the touch of a foreign mind.

*Charles!* I cried out mentally in delight. *Good to have you back!*

*It's good to be back.* He assured me. *It appears you all have had an eventful three days...*

I could have snorted in that moment, if that wasn't the biggest understatement of the year...

I was vaguely aware of the Professor going through my memories of the previous 72 hours; he was right, they'd been quite eventful. I also sent him a mental note of consulting with others about what had happened during the times I'd been out of it, along with a light warning about interrupting my sister before she left Logan's bedroom. Charles actually chuckled at that part; surprisingly enough he wasn't worried at all about Marie being with Logan, even though she was so young (barely nineteen)... on the other hand, he was part of a match himself, he knew how strong such bonds were.

It was until the middle of the afternoon that we all came together, in one of the many sitting rooms in the mansion (which was much more comfortable than the study).

I couldn't help it, the first thing I noticed was Jean, she was dressed in her usual clothes, but her hair looked redder than it'd been before, and it seemed to almost be glowing. Also, I could feel her power; I'd always been able to do that, actually; but never before had I felt it like I did in that moment, so much... that woman had the potential to surpass Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr both (even with them working together).

"Phoenix..." I breathed out as I bowed my head slightly in respect.

"I still like the name Jean." She said quietly. "But I suppose that now, as an X-Woman, I shall use the code-name of Phoenix."

It was only natural. While I knew that some might have expected the actions of the past three days to have lead to the destruction of Jean's dissociate personality, I knew that wasn't how it worked. Phoenix hadn't been a separate identity, all along she'd been a part of Jean. A part they'd tried to suppress once, yes; but still a very real part of her. Jean could have never been whole without her.

Once everyone settled down, we got straight down to business. The Professor had already seen enough in all our memories to know exactly what had happened in the 72 hours he and the others had been out of commission. Still, a verbal report was given, touching the most important parts, for the benefit of Jean and Scott.

There was some sadness, about how bad things had gotten for both Bobby and Pyro that they'd chosen to go down such a dark path... I also knew that at least one person must be wondering how alike, or how different, things might have been if certain decisions hadn't been made back in Alkali Lake, two years prior. If Magneto and Mystique had still been with the Brotherhood... Well, they probably would have been with the boys, Erik wouldn't have been there to back-up Charles as they helped Jean and Scott deal with her alter-ego, and who knows what else?

"Hank called a couple of hours ago." The Professor said next. "It appears Mr. Worthington has had a change of heart, quiet possibly aided by his son, he's taking the 'cure' out of the market. Almost everything that wasn't in Alcatraz Island has been destroyed already, with the exception of a single crate, which is being sent to us. Angel will be delivering it himself."

"What for?" Scott asked, suspiciously.

"While most of us may believe that the price we must pay for our mutations is worth it, not everyone shares that opinion." Ororo told him calmly. "Those who don't may come to us. The use of what remains of the cure will only happen at our discretion."

"Also, there's something else." Charles admitted. "When I talked to Hank earlier... he told me he'd been allowed to study carefully a dose of the cure... he doesn't believe the compound is a cure at all!"

"What...?!" No one was expecting that, at all.

"It would seem that the compound they managed to extract from Jimmy's own DNA works as a suppressant, rather than a cure." The Professor elaborated. "It is possible that minor mutations could be eliminated completely, or at least pushed down deeply enough as to be unnoticeable; but for those of us who rank higher than class 3, possibly than class 2... it's doubtful the effects would last very long."

That was certainly a comfort, for everyone.

"So... now what?" I asked, after a very long silence.

"Now we move on." Magneto stated seriously. "It's impossible to know right now how many of those who came to us seeking refuge from the cure will decide to stay now that the danger's past. Though I imagine we will end with a few more students," He turned to his partner. "Which I'm sure you'll enjoy very much Charles."

There were quite chuckles at that, but no one interrupted.

"We will continue looking after this school, and after our people." Erik went on, his voice taking a very distinct tone, a serenity I'd never before perceived in him. "The humans have taken our side in ways I could have never expected." His hand went to Charles's shoulder, who in turned covered it with one of his own. "You just might be right after all Charles..."

The conversation changed then, as Jean and Scott announced they were getting married soon and everyone began making questions about that. Eventually most of the people began leaving the room, though some of us hung back. I was one of the few still there when Mystique spoke up:

"I wonder, is it our fault that this has taken so long to happen?" She asked quietly. "I mean, would we have gotten to this point earlier if we... if Erik and I hadn't left you that day in Cuba?"

"Oh Raven..." Charles embraced his sister as she half-knelt beside him, half-curled into his lap. "You should not ask yourself that kind of question, they'll only drive you mad. I wondered too, you know? For the longest time. How different things might be, if I'd asked you to stay, begged you... if I'd chosen to push my dreams to a side and go with you."

"It wouldn't have been you anymore." Erik interrupted, kissing Charles's brow tenderly. "In the end there's no point wondering what could have been. This is the life we have, we must accept it, and we must enjoy it."

"We lead amazing lives." I quipped, even as I turned to leave. "What's there not to enjoy?"

Amazing lives... I had no idea...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how did you like this? I've read rewrites of the Last Stand, even one particularly amazing Rogan one (cannot remember the title, but the basic of it was that it was Rogue who stopped Phoenix, instead of Wolverine... and it went from there). I had a lot of ideas for this, and slowly this came out. I think it was important to show how every single change has impacted everyone else's lives. 
> 
> For those who don't like what I did with a two certain someones... I'm sorry! That wasn't originally in my plans. It just... happened. The pairing itself... I cannot help but see them that way, and I like them together. And then this... yeah. In a way it comes from my whole idea of matches (those who follow the series will understand). Other pairing have showcased this already, with how Nightingale will support Loki no matter what he's doing, how Cal has become twisted as a consequence of losing his own match, and so on... once a match has been acknowledged the people involved live and die for their other half, and that has good things and bad. Here I got to show some of the bad... 
> 
> I know not everyone likes some of the pairings I use, I hope you'll put up with it, with me and keep reading. Thank you!
> 
> For those waiting for the Avengers (and possibly, hopefully, Loki) I'm so very sorry, but my muse insisted this was how things were supposed to be. I promise it will be worth it, you'll get a full dose of them all soon! 
> 
> So, one more thing. It's my birthday on Monday and I would consider it a huge gift if you'd all leave reviews/comments. Tell me what you like, what you don't. It all helps me improve, and keep my muse working. I'm not keeping any chapters hostage, I promise, the next one is coming in two weeks. Also, I will take this chance to remind you that after that I'm taking a break for a few months before tackling the main timeline again (the third cycle is coming!).   
> Technically I'm already on a break... but for some editing I've already finished this story, and I'm fully immersed on Tolkien's universe right now. (I love it!). My parents got me the Hobbit box-set for Christmas and I enjoyed from my own personal marathon of the trilogy in extended edition... It's actually given me a few ideas, for Nightingale in other universes (either in the future, or AUs where Tinúviel was reincarnated in a different world... what do you think?) In any case, that's that for now. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience and see ya soon!


	4. Nightingale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you who were waiting to see Loki... here we are! 
> 
> It's taken a long while to get to this point, and while I hope you enjoyed it all, I especially hope you'll like how Loki turned out in this one, I know I'm giving you very little of him, but my muse just had so much to say about the X-Men... 
> 
> So, yeah, hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Songs used in this chapter:   
> -Hayle Westenra's 'Listen to the Wind' (theme for the movie 'New World').   
> -Sting's 'A Thousand Years' (I recommend a cover by Harmonize Projekt 2, you can find the vid in youtube). 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Nightingale**

I found my match, my equal, and through him I found myself.

The first two times SHIELD came in contact with the X-Men things didn't go well. The first time a couple of their agents tried to kidnap me (they probably wouldn't put it like that, but the point remained). It'd happened while Marie and I were in Washington to witness Dr. McCoy being named US Ambassador to the UN. Thanks to some trickery on our part they got my sister instead: she'd changed just enough to pass for me, while I cloaked myself in illusions: hair much shorter and straighter than I'd ever had mine and a shade darker, in different clothes too.

A couple of Agents of SHIELD tried to get information from her en-route. She made sure to keep her answers vague enough they'd do them no good. In turn she found out that SHIELD wanted to learn more of the X-Men and mutants in general before approaching their leader. Then, a few blocks before they made it to the Triskellion, she used her magnetic powers to slow the car, force the door open and jump out. Still using magnetism to pull herself some distance away before landing on a front-yard and rolling to a stop. By the time the agents on the car recovered from the shock she'd managed to slip into a crowd of people leaving a school-stadium after a basketball practice; shifting herself just enough not to be recognized if they got too close.

The second time they actually got too close to the Professor's friend: Dr. Moira McTaggert, who was visiting for a medical conference at Columbia and to consult on something-or-other with the Professor. She'd known something was off, according to her it was a leftover instinct from her days as a CIA Agent (and really, did all women who left government agencies become doctors, or nurses?). In any case, she'd warned Charles.

It was easy enough for the Professor to find the three people keeping tabs on Moira. While he could have simply turned their attention away, Mystique had been feeling a bit mischievous (or maybe she was just bored). In any case, when she presented her plan, Moira had agreed, to everyone's surprise. Mystique had shifted into her double and the two women had gone around New Salem for several hours; making the agents crazy as they tried to keep up and, once they realized there were two of them, to figure out which was the real one.

After several hours Moira had tired of it and Blink (one of the refugees who'd joined everyone at Westchester and later on the X-Men during the cure-fiasco) had gotten both her and Mystique to the mansion through a couple of her portals. By the time the agents realized the women were no longer in New Salem there was nothing they could do.

There were other attempts, though no one managed to get that close again. They at least had the common sense not to get anywhere close to the mansion. It was well-known that if there was something neither of the leaders of the mutant community would allow it was for the safety of the Institute, of the students, to be violated. Also, with the school's official status as sanctuary, it would have been a federal crime for anyone to trespass.

Then, just as we were all beginning to believe that it was over, that SHIELD had finally given up on whatever they'd been planning, the call came:

"I received a call, earlier today." The Professor informed us after the fact. "From a former student of the Institute. I believe you will remember Wallflower," there was a general nod from the people in the room. "She'd like us to consider meeting with her and a group she works with."

"What's so special about her, about her request?" Scott asked, not understanding what the point of the whole meeting was supposed to be.

"The point is that our dear Wallflower works for SHIELD." Magneto replied.

**xXx Loki's POV xXx**

"Done." I announced, somewhat unnecessarily, as I entered the room.

Two people were standing before a set of computers, the man (in his fifties or something, with graying hair and light eyes, in dark slacks, a button up shirt and a lab-coat) typing some things, while the woman (with tanned skin, brunette hair in long waves, chocolate eyes, jeans, a long-sleeved red and purple plaid shirt, dark vest and low boots) followed a series of data appearing on the screens, nodding to herself all the while.

"So?" I asked, waiting for the verdict.

"It worked." Both human scientists said at the same time.

"For now." The woman added quietly.

"For now," I agreed, then shook my head. "We cannot keep doing this."

"I know." She nodded. "I've tried to explain it to Deputy Director Hill, but she says we will continue doing it until it no longer works."

"And then what?" I snapped. "They knew all along this was a temporary measure at most. They should be focusing on finding a more permanent solution."

"I think that's what they hoped Phase 2 would be..." She offered.

"Please!" I scoffed. "Weapons created with basis on an artifact they did not understand, which is the very reason your world is a target!" I shook my head in disbelief. "Humans did not use to be this careless! Honestly, they always loved challenging themselves, but not at the cost of their very race, their planet. But they've become arrogant, especially people like the ones leading SHIELD... too sure of their own authority, their own power..."

"Not everyone is like that." She tried to convince me, though I could tell she didn't quite believe those words herself. "The Avengers do want to help."

"Maybe." I had to admit that, at least on that last part, she was mostly right. "Still, there's only so much half a dozen people can do."

"Well I don't know, Thor is pretty awesome... and of course so are you." She drawled.

I couldn't help it, I chuckled at that.

"You're not bad yourself, Jane Foster." I said with a respectful nod.

Her return nod seemed a bit stiff, and I couldn't help but notice as she grasped the bracelet on her left wrist, carefully made by the best smiths, from the best metal, with a small piece hanging: a replica of Mjolnir. It was her betrothal gift, the object signaling her as the intended of Thor, son of Odin, and King of Asgard...

Things hadn't always been good, between my brother and I. At some point after we'd left our childhood behind something had changed, a distance had formed between us, it'd taken almost a thousand years for us to find our way back. It hadn't been easy, especially after the Allfather (he might have once been my father too, but no more) had named Thor as heir.

I always knew there was something off about me, I was too different, not just from Thor but from all Asgardians as a whole. With my jade-green eyes, raven-black hair, alabaster skin and thin, light build. The only other person to have dark hair in all the Realm Eternal was Sif, and even that was my fault (apparently I'd done that, though I couldn't actually remember why I'd done it, only that it was supposed to be something good... even if she never seemed to agree). It took a Norns-forsaken visit to Jotunheim to realize just how wrong I truly was.

_I knew, from the moment the coronation was interrupted, that things were wrong, really wrong. I could hardly believe it at first, Jotun had actually managed to slip into Asgard and all the way to the weapons-vault, with no one stopping them, or even noticing at all. Granted, there had been a moment when I'd considered arranging for something like that to happen; a situation that would make evident to everyone, especially Odin, how ill-prepared Thor was for the throne. But I hadn't done it in the end. I hadn't done it because regardless of what I thought of my brother's faults, he was still my brother. He'd been by my side when everyone else chose to give up on me (except mother, but I knew that, no matter what, she'd never give up on me). So I'd pushed all my negative thoughts aside, promising myself that I'd be there for him when he became King, would make sure to lessen whatever damage he might unwittingly cause, help him learn to be the good King I knew he was capable of being._

_And then the Jotun just had to go and ruin it all! Of course, Thor had reacted exactly how I knew he would; and my attempts to pacify him somehow ended making things worse! (which I hadn't believed was actually possible). When Thor came up with the plan of having us go to Jotunheim I knew it was insane, I was also sure I couldn't be the only one to see that, yet no one else tried to stop him! And when I tried I was called a coward! Even Heimdall, who was supposed to be older and wiser, who knew the Allfather had specifically prohibited for anyone to go into Jotunheim, he let us right through!_

_No matter how hard I tried to prevent a conflict, in the end it was simply beyond me. Still, once the actual battle started I made sure not to stray far from Thor, I'd to make sure that, despite his idiocy, he survived._

_Thankfully a moment came when Thor realized we were fighting a losing battle. He knew what I was capable of, thanks to our 'rebuilding of bonds' in recent years; he knew I could get us all out of there. He didn't realize how costly it'd be on my reserves, but at that point I didn't care._

" _Tell your friends to gather together, Thor." I told him as I began preparing. "We'll only have one shot at this."_

_Fandral had frostbite on his arm by then, and Volstagg was bleeding from a stab to his middle. It was only a matter of time until we all fell; time I didn't intend to give our enemies. I wasn't the only one who saw the attack coming Sif's way, though I was probably the only one who was in any position to react. I used my arm as a shield; the way I saw it, the worst that would happen was getting either frostbite or a cut on my arm, nothing that couldn't be healed. The Jotun to attack tried to grab onto my arm, but I was already pulling us all into the Shadow Plane by then, the Frost Giant had no hope of surviving there (neither would have Thor and his friends, if it weren't for me)._

_In the end the injury did affect me more than I was expect and we ended sprawled on the Throne Room, practically at the Allfather's feet, rather than standing at the door, as I'd planned. I didn't give the King the chance to say a word before ordering Sif and Hogun to take the other two to the healers, before taking leave myself._

_I didn't realize Thor was following me until he was standing before me in my own quarters._

" _I know you hold no love for the healers, brother, but shouldn't you let them tend to your wounds as well?" He inquired._

" _I don't need any healers." I tried to sound nonchalant, though I couldn't manage._

_Thor took hold of my arm, he was probably trying to prove a point. I was so distracted I couldn't stop him in time. My armor crumbled to pieces in his hand, revealing my arm to him... my blue-skinned arm, with black markings..._

" _Brother...?" He repeated, full of confusion._

" _It would appear Thor that I am not your brother... I never was." The words left a bitter taste in my mouth, and wasn't that fitting? After all, they were the truth, and I was the god of lies..._

_It wasn't a surprise to find Thor demanding answers; what certainly was, was his absolute denial whenever the Allfather so much as suggested that we weren't brothers._

" _I care not for his sire or the blood in his veins or the color his skin takes. Loki is my brother and whoever tries to deny it shall be made to pay. Even if we share not the same parents or the same blood. Loki is my brother, by name, by word and by deed; and by the bond of the blood we've both spilled, side by side, for centuries!" He took a deep breath before going on. "I care not for excuses or plans you might have had. My brother and I shall choose our own lives. What I want to know, what I think we both deserve to know is why you've lied to us for our whole lives!"_

_As surprised and touched as I was by his loyalty in that moment, I didn't expect it to last. What I expected even less, was when Sif approached me, offering her fealty for saving her life. I thought she had to be absolutely insane!_

_That was just the start of the insanity. The Allfather went into the Odinsleep two days later. After Thor's show of immaturity in going to Jotunheim his coronation had been postponed indefinitely. He didn't seem to care. I didn't see him much the following days, and at first I thought he was finally returning to normal (meaning, not caring for me unless he needed something). Until he approached me on the third day. It was then I found out what was going on._

_It turned out that Thor had finally realized he wasn't ready to be King, he'd also decided his Father would never give him the kind of education he needed to be a good King; so he'd taken to following Mother around as she acted as regent, trying to learn everything he needed to. After three days he'd finally accepted there was just too much he didn't know, he didn't understand; and he couldn't stop Mother every few minutes to ask about things he realized he should have known all along._

_I could have laughed at him, a part of me really wanted to laugh. At the same time I realized that it was important. He was trusting me, to do right by him, and by Asgard. So I did. Sif was with us most of the time (still trying to get me to accept her oath), and eventually even the Warriors Three joined us. They thought it was insane, until Sif pointed out just how dangerous it could be for Thor to take the throne without knowing certain things._

" _Asgard wouldn't suffer for my negligence." Thor stated in a very serious tone. "I know Loki would never allow that. If I were about to do something stupid he'd stop me. But I'd rather it didn't go that far..."_

" _What makes you so sure he'd stop you?" Fandral still didn't trust me. "He could let it happen, so you'll look like a fool!"_

" _One might think that if he's doing something stupid he deserves nothing less." Sif deadpanned._

" _Brother would never allow that, he loves Asgard too much for that!" Thor retorted._

" _How will you even make sure he'll be there to warn you if you miss something or make a mistake or anything?" Hogun inquired, curious._

" _He'll be my Whisperer, of course!" Thor said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and maybe for him it was._

_Of course, things couldn't be that simple. Laufey was too proud too simply let things go. We'd gone into the Frozen Realm, we'd fought him and his soldiers, we'd escaped his fury..._

_I tried to pacify him, by means both of diplomacy and trickery. Nothing worked. And then, the one thing I could have never expected: Laufey and his most trusted Jotun went and attacked Midgard of all places!_

_I almost had a heart-attack at that, though only Thor truly realized why it affected me so. Thankfully the Frost Giants never got far; we (meaning Thor, Sif, the Warriors Three and myself) managed to get there in time to assist the midgardians fighting the Jotun in time to tip the balance in favor of us all._

_A part of me wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, to leave Thor and the others, go to where I truly wanted to be and never look back. But I couldn't do that, I couldn't because Thor needed me, my brother needed me, and I couldn't let him down..._

_Of course, because the Norns just love to make fun of me, Thor just had to meet his match during our brief stay in Midgard. A matter of hours and he knew without a doubt that Jane Foster was the woman meant for him. He went to me the moment we returned to Asgard, because he knew as well as I did that Father would never stand for it. After all, we both knew what he'd tried to do before, and to one that was only a friend!_

" _Brother," Thor insisted on talking privately with me, and he was so solemn I knew something had to be going on. "What's become of your friend, the Lady Nightingale?"_

_I wasn't expecting that, to the point where I just stared at him in shock for the longest time._

" _Your midgardian friend..." He added, very, very quietly._

" _I have no idea..." I began, defensively._

" _Please brother," He said in pacifying tone. "I promise you I wish no harm to your friend. I know she's real, I know you managed to hide her from the mages Father sent after her."_

" _How... how long...?" I was so shocked by his unexpected insight I couldn't even string a question properly._

" _I've known all along." He shrugged. "It's just... it was in your ways, whenever you spoke of her, it was obvious she was a real person. The mages couldn't find her, but then again you've always been much more powerful than all of them."_

" _Why did you not speak of it, if you knew?" I was still suspicious, as close as we might have gotten in recent times, we'd been at odds for much longer._

" _I knew it was the law, that she and you'd broken it, and yet I couldn't see what was so wrong about a single human girl knowing things, no one was being hurt." He shook his head. "And something happening to her, was hurting you. After the mages returned with the news, I knew what had to have happened, even if I knew not how you had done it. I wanted you to trust me, and I wanted to help you. So I tried to get closer to you... it has taken me this long... so, will you tell me brother? Will you trust me?"_

_I thought about it for a while, could I trust him? Could I not? He'd trusted me, when the truth of my origins had been revealed, when I hadn't trusted myself. I couldn't begin to imagine what might have become of me he hadn't been there._

" _She does exist." I admitted, and as I did it felt like a huge weight was being lifted from me. "She is safe, in Midgard... and she doesn't remember me."_

" _What...?!" It was obvious Loki wasn't expecting that._

" _That's how I kept her safe, it's why the Allfather's mages could never find her." I elaborated. "Because there was nothing and no one to find."_

" _Is that... was that safe?"_

" _I hope so. It's never been done, but we'd little options, and even less time. She still has all the memories, they're just sealed. I took just enough so the mages wouldn't be able to find her; left just the bare minimum so she wouldn't be affected. She will know there are memories she has no access to, that someone else will have to unlock them for her."_

" _Why haven't you?"_

" _Because it's not safe for her. If Odin were to realize it, to so much as suspect, it would all be lost. I'd rather keep her at a distance that have her be in danger simply for being my friend."_

" _But she's more than just your friend isn't she...?"_

" _I... I don't know. I think we were headed that way before... everything. But she was so young, not yet an adult..." I took a deep breath before confessing the one thing I'd kept closely guarded for so long. "I think she's my match..."_

" _Oh brother... I will make it right" I wasn't expecting it when he stood and in a very solemn tone recited. "I give you my word, Loki. When I am King, I will change the law. You and the Lady Nightingale will be together."_

_I smiled at him wistfully as he said that, and yet I didn't allow myself to truly hope..._

_Of course, when that promise was made we hadn't yet considered what would happen in the following months. Like Thor realizing Jane Foster was more than just a conquest, she was truly and without a doubt, his match. It took a great deal of trickery on my part to keep the Allfather from realizing how serious the situation was._

_Finally, two years after the failed coronation, Thor took his oaths and his place as the new King of Asgard, while I took my own place at his left as the new Crown Whisperer, the head of his Counselors and most trusted confidante (I was also named Heir Apparent until a son was born, which left a number of Aesir in shock)._

_Three days later I used the Shadow Paths to bring Jane into Asgard in secret. After some very careful political moves, the law had been changed. The coronation feast took place that night (Thor had insisted on delaying it so he could get to work first). In that party he introduced Jane Foster, his betrothed, to all of Asgard._

_It's quite possible the Allfather will never forgive us for that (not like we care). It was done. While Jane was still living and working in Midgard for the time being, she was already considered as crown-princess of Asgard, and upon her marriage to Thor she would partake of Idunn's apples and officially gain the titles of Goddess of Science and Queen of Asgard._

"When will you be going to get her?" Back in the present, Jane asked me quietly. "Your Lady Nightingale, I mean?"

She was one of four people in all the realms who knew about her; the others being Thor, Sif, and Darcy Lewis. Darcy I'd told personally, as I considered her a true friend; Thor had known since the situation with Odin and his mages, and while I'd managed to trick Sif at the time, once I'd finally accepted her oath I decided to tell her the truth. Jane knew because Thor had asked my permission to tell her, as he didn't want to have any secrets from his match. I also knew he saw it as something that connected us, as we both had human matches (or would, in my case).

"Once this situation is over." I answered honestly. "The last thing I want is for her to be involved in this mess. I know how much Thor hates that you're at risk..."

"But I'm the only one who can do the things I do." She finished for me. "Even if others have begun to study it all, it will be a long time before they get to my level."

They never would, because it wasn't like she was going to stagnate in the years it took whoever else was studying the topic, to get to the level she was in that moment... of course, once she married my brother she'd probably have a lot less time to continue her studies, and she knew it. It was something I'd talked with her about, as I knew Thor would never consider it. She'd accepted it as a sacrifice, one she was willing to make. From her point of view she'd already achieved her life's goal: she'd proven the existence of interdimensional bridges (they called them Einstein-Rosen bridges), she'd created the logarithms and machines capable of detecting the creations of portals, not just from other realms, but even from the abyss itself (hence how she was helping us in the current situation).

We'd spent months keeping Thanos and his army from reaching Midgard, by using yet another device Jane and Dr. Selvig had created (with some help from my magic), which disrupted any chaos portal that may begin to form. Still, I knew that wouldn't last forever, some day Thanos would learn; either that or the portal would simply form too wide and too fast for us to get the device into place and stop the way from fully opening in time.

"Have you considered the possibility of her getting involved in all this even without you?" Her next question surprised me.

"What...?!" I wasn't expecting that.

"I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened already." She elaborated. "You told me she's a genius, and what her topics of study are; that, along with the fact that she's certified in so many languages makes her a perfect candidate for a number of government agencies, including SHIELD..." She seemed to ponder something before adding. "I suppose we wouldn't actually know if she were to be working for an agency, if that agency's not SHIELD, would we?"

It took me a moment to fully understand what she'd just said, but when she did I actually froze. My Nightingale, my amazing songbird, so gentle, so full of compassion, working for a human government that would just use her as a pawn? I shuddered at the mere thought. I also told myself it wasn't possible. Nightingale had told me once that her aunt had worked for the government for many years; the older woman had made Nightingale promise she would never make that kind of mistake. And she wasn't the kind of person to break a promise...

**xXx**

In the evening I was passing the living room, where Darcy Lewis, Jane's assistant (and, secretly, bodyguard, since Agent Coulson and the Black Widow had trained her in both hand to hand and guns) was watching what looked like the news. There was a woman recounting something that had happened during the day, while the background showed images that surprised me like few things ever had: there had been some kind of bombing, though that wasn't the most shocking part, no, the real shock was the group of individuals helping the people who had ended trapped in the half-destroyed, burning building: a young woman with dark hair, pink highlights and the greenest eyes ever, waving her hands around, creating what looked like veritable black holes for people to step through; before coming out from another, directly on the street; a blue man with black hair and a devil's tail, popping all around in a cloud of smoke, taking people out; a girl with a brown-ponytail seemed to actually be walking through walls and even fire, sometimes alone, sometimes with other people; and then there was the blonde man with white angel wings on his back... The only thing they all had in common, aside from the fact they were all amazingly gifted; was that they were all wearing identical black-leather bodysuits.

"Wha... who are those?" I couldn't help but ask as I stepped into the room.

"Wha... them?" She signaled to the screen, then began enlisting as new pictures appeared. "Those are Blink, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Angel. Colossus and Psylocke are also around, mostly working on damage control, as they aren't as useful with the rescue." She smiled. "They're X-Men, or at least one of the teams."

"X-Men...?" I didn't know that term.

"Do you know what mutants are?" She inquired.

"I think... I think I read a paper that mentioned them, years ago." I had to stop and consider. "It said something about the next step of human evolution, I think."

"Exactly." She nodded. "The most simple way to explain it would be to say that while the human race has existed as such for thousands of years, some have begun to be born, different. It's a difference in their genes. Geneticists say that everything that makes each of us who we are, are mutations: like the color of our hair, our eyes, built, the propensity for certain sicknesses, etc. There is one particular gene that may appear and instead of causing anything like that, it gives the person something else. They call it the X-gene. There are many gifts, each as different as the person who possesses it."

"What kind of gifts?" I was really intrigued by the whole idea.

"All kinds." She seemed to really like the topic. "Telepathy, telekinesis, weather manipulation, control of magnetism, shape-shifting, illusions, talking to animals, primate aspects, wings, creating portals, phasing through objects, teleportation, and many, many others."

"And what are the X-Men?" I needed to have all the information before I could process it.

"Mmm..." Darcy actually had to stop and think about that before answering. "You see, there are mutants everywhere. It's a bit of a long explanation, but please bare with me. At first there were very few mutants, but in the last couple of decades or so their numbers have grown. There are those who believe that mutants are the next stage of human evolution, and that's caused all kind of reactions. Humans fearing and/or hating the mutants, some even tried to destroy them. There were all kinds of hate crimes, even. For the longest time no one would do anything. Then there was a group, the Brotherhood of Mutants, who focused on keeping others safe from the humans who would seek to destroy them." She shook her head. "They had good ideas, but sometimes took things too far. It pushed humans to see them as terrorists, which of course didn't help things any. There were some who tried to push the government into accepting mutants and helping them, but it wasn't easy. Then, something happened a couple of years ago; I don't know what it was exactly, but it was huge..." She seemed to shiver for whatever the reason before continuing. "Anyway, the government was forced to accept that mutants existed. Things have been getting better, somewhat, since then. A well-known mutant activist, Dr. Hank McCoy became the first Secretary for Mutant Affairs, he was recently chosen to be the new US ambassador for the UN. There is the Xavier Institute, a school for mutants, which was given status of sanctuary, meaning no one can attack those living there. That's also where the leaders of the mutant community: Professor X and Magneto live. And finally, going back to your question, the X-Men is a group formed by mutants, a sort of paramilitary, I guess, dedicated to policing mutants, stopping those who might try to hurt others. They also sometimes help humans during other disasters, like with the bombing in Miami earlier today."

"How many X-Men are there?" I inquired, a plan beginning to form in my head.

"Mmm... I don't actually know. Though there are three active teams now, I think. You saw one just earlier. I have no idea how many that would make."

"That's what we need."

"What...?"

"For the upcoming confrontation against the Chitauri. Those X-Men, that's the kind of allies we need to have."

Darcy actually snorted, I raised a brow, wanting to know what she meant by that.

"That's gonna be a lot easier said than done Lokes..." She stated with a somewhat said shake of her head. "SHIELD really, really has no love for mutants, at all."

**xXx**

Darcy's assessment was, as it turned out, a gross understatement of the situation. Director Fury seemed to be almost glowering at me from the moment I made the suggestion of approaching the X-Men for an alliance against the Chitauri. Even then, I didn't realize just how bad the situation was, until Coulson approached me and explained what had happened the last two times SHIELD had gotten anywhere close to someone connected to the X-Men, and the mutant community in general... it hadn't been good.

"Kidnapping and stalking, really?" I couldn't help but snap as I listened to the recount of everything that had happened before.

"Technically SHIELD didn't really kidnap Miss Canary..." Sitwell muttered.

"That she escaped from custody doesn't erase your own actions." Jane snapped at him.

"The fact that she chose to jump off a car in motion rather than stay with you is actually rather telling..." Darcy added in a drawl. "And you want to ally with this people..."

"Why would we want to ally with a bunch of frea..." The agent began, only to break off abruptly.

He didn't get to finish his retort, as his head turned sideways hard enough to give him whiplash, courtesy of a slap from Darcy; who was fuming, almost shaking in place as she stared at him with so much contempt it was almost palpable.

"You bi..." Sitwell began, raising his own hand at the brunette.

I moved before I fully realized what I was doing, teleporting to stand beside Darcy, holding Sitwell's arm in place.

"If I were you I would think my next actions very carefully, Agent..." I hissed at him. "Lady Darcy is under the protection of two Asgardians, and I am confident you wish not to anger the King of Asgard, or his Head Adviser... your organization would not thank you for your actions, or the consequences thereof."

I emphasized my words by tightening my hold on him, just enough to make sure the foolish mortal would feel the pressure all the way to his bones. I didn't break any, but still; the message was delivered, loud and clear, or so I hoped (for the fool's own good).

"Let me make one thing extremely clear agent, and to everyone else around here." I stated, calling the attention of everyone around, all who'd done nothing thus far, except watch. "We need the help of those people, the mutants. Thanos is coming, and he's bringing an army, the likes of which none of you could ever begin to imagine. We need power to face against them, we need the kind of power they have."

"It's likely that, once they learn of the danger coming, they will prepare to face it as well." Jane pointed out thoughtfully. "However, will we meet them on the battlefield, as two separate armies. Or will we march on that day together, a united front?"

"You cannot ally with beings such as them, they answer to no authority..." Fury, who'd arrived at some point, began.

"That they refuse to answer to your authority doesn't mean they answer to no one." Surprisingly enough, it was Darcy again who spoke up. "They have leaders, men who've lead them for over fifty years; at first apart, and now together."

"A world-known terrorist and a man with the power to take over the world." Fury insisted.

"Just like the WSC has the power to fire nuclear weapons at whoever they wish?" Jane retorted testily. "Which, of course, they would never do... or so one hopes."

Something happened then I wasn't expecting, as Darcy turned to face Fury, one might even say she was facing him down, except for the fact that she was actually shorter than him. Yet there was something about her, like some kind of unmeasured power, as she faced the Director of SHIELD without an ounce of hesitation or fear.

"You claim Magneto is nothing but a terrorist." She stated evenly. "Tell me then, Director Fury, how many people has this terrorist killed? Then, from those numbers, tell me, tell us all, how many were military and scientists who were experimenting, torturing mutants! Tell me how many mutants had to suffer and even die at the hands of those humans. And how many times the US government, and all kinds of other figures of so-called authority chose to do nothing, because they weren't human!" She stepped back, yet didn't back down, not really. "I know not any exact numbers, but they're unnecessary, you know as well as I that if Magneto were human, or if mutants had been seen as equals to humans for the last fifty years, he'd be hailed as a hero, instead of labeled a terrorist."

"He's not a terrorist anymore." Yet another surprise, it was Coulson who offered that information. "By official order of President Cockrum, Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, aka Magneto was given a blanket pardon. It was also then that he and Charles Francis Xavier, Professor X, were declared as the official leaders of the Mutant community, at least in North-America. They need not answer to any humans. And if something comes up the government may approach them through the Secretary for Mutant Affairs." He made a pause, considering things before adding. "It used to be Dr. Hank McCoy, but since he took the position of US ambassador with the UN, the position was taken by a Miss Irene Xavier-Darkholme."

"Xavier-Darkholme?" Maria Hill, the last to have joined, asked. "Any relation to Mystique'"

"Raven Xavier-Darkholme is her wife, I believe." Coulson nodded quiet calmly.

No one said a single word for the longest time, too much information it too little time, it seemed. Though that didn't change anything. We still were in a stressful situation, one we needed to resolve. Bottom line: we still needed that alliance.

"I... I can get you a meeting... I think." Darcy offered after what seemed like forever.

I could see the nervousness in every line of her body, the mix of decisiveness with the slightest hint of fear, as she kept playing with her mobile phone.

"You can...?" Jane was the one to voice the question that was probably in all our minds.

"I..." Darcy took a deep breath before seemingly stealing herself. "Yes, yes I can."

"Do it please, Darcy." Thor spoke for the first time since the whole argument had begun. "My brother is correct, we need to create an alliance before our enemy has the opportunity to make its move against us."

She nodded just once before fiddling some more with her phone. After almost a full minute she finally dialed a number and pressed it against her ear.

From the corner of my eye I could see some of the low-level agents working fast on their stations. I knew what they were trying to do, they intended to track the call Darcy was making. Was about to do something about it, when I noticed the way they kept shaking their heads; they were failing. It was then I realized Darcy hadn't been fiddling with her phone, she'd done something that kept SHIELD from being able to trace her call. Clever girl!

"Hello, Professor...?" She called, as someone apparently answered on the other end of the line. "This is Wallflower..."

The sharp intake of breath from Jane told me that there was some importance to the introduction Darcy had chosen, something I was missing.

"Yes Professor, that's me." She waited for a while. "I'm afraid this is not a personal call, sir... There are some people I work with, who would like to meet you, in an official capacity... Yes, they would like to meet the X-Men... I'm doing this because we honestly don't know of any other way to make this possible... because the people I work with are SHIELD." Her eyes widened at something said on the other end. "No Professor, I'm not being coerced... I promise... Very well, I'll be waiting for your call then."

With that, the call ended. For a moment nothing was said, and then.

"Did they honestly think we, or someone here was forcing you to make that call?!" Jane cried out in honest disbelief.

"You have heard what they've done before, but you still don't realize how much SHIELD and the X-Men just don't get along." Darcy pointed out almost sadly. "There have been suspicions of SHIELD's involvement in at least some of the labs the Brotherhood dismantled through the years. Then there's the fact that, like you heard, Director Fury, the WSC, they all refuse to acknowledge the authority Professor X and Magneto have over the mutant community; insisting on seeing them as vigilantes at best, anarchists and terrorists at worst." She shook her head. "There's also the fact that, until myself, no mutant has ever gotten this close to SHIELD."

"We'd never hire a f... mutant." Hill stated coldly.

"Well, the good news is, you still haven't." Darcy deadpanned. "Since I don't technically work for you. I work for Jane; whose research might be sponsored by SHIELD, when it suits your purposes at least, but she doesn't work for you, technically."

"You were trained by two of our agents!" Sitwell insisted.

"I'm still not an agent, not really." Darcy shrugged.

"Even then, this building has sensors in every entrance, we should have been able to detect what you were from the start." Hill pressed.

"Yeah..." Darcy's smile turned almost predatory as she faced the Deputy Director. "You do remember I'm a hacker, right? Arguably the best hacker in the world... at the very least on the top three. Fixing the way your sensors read me was child's play."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. I knew I liked Darcy! I had never imagined she could do something like that, but still.

"You do realize, Miss Lewis, that tampering with government equipment is a crime?" Fury said in his most fastidious tone.

"You do realize, Director, that using such devices in order to restrict access to mutants and metas is an act of discrimination, and a federal crime according to the Mutant Protection Act?" Darcy retorted in a very formal tone.

Fury had no response to that, no one did. It appeared there was nothing they could do; I also imagined they hadn't forgotten what I'd told Sitwell just minutes earlier; Darcy had the protection of two Asgardians; not counting the friendship of the future Queen of Asgard. It really wouldn't have been in SHIELD's best interest to alienate all of us.

"I shall let you know when the Professor rings back, and I imagine I'll have to be in on that meeting, if only so they can all be sure I'm not being held hostage or anything." She stated somewhat flippantly as she walked out of the room.

Jane went after her immediately, with Thor and I following closely. I could hear Darcy quietly apologizing to Jane for not having told her about her status as a mutant.

"It's alright Darce..." Jane assured her with a smile. "I know that that isn't the kind of things most people feel comfortable admitting to."

"Until recently it wasn't safe to." Darcy pointed out. "Thankfully all that is changing, finally."

"I'm curious about something." I admitted as Thor and I caught up to them.

"What is it I can do?" She guessed. "Do you know what a Wallflower is Lokes?"

"I'm afraid I am not familiar with that term." I shook my head.

"It's what some people call someone at a party who's shy, awkward, has no one to dance with, that kind of thing." Jane explained.

"Some people also use that word to describe loners, shy people who are almost never noticed by anyone." Darcy added as she turned to look at me. "That describes my power pretty well. When I'm actively using it I go unnoticed." She shrugged. "It's not that awesome a power, no telekinesis or shooting rays from my eyes. Just a little trick..."

I wasn't sure why, exactly, but I just had a feeling I was missing something. The thought was pushed aside, however, when an alarm rang through the building, and then we were all running. Another chaos portal had just appeared... we were really running out of time.

**xXx**

The meeting took place two days later in Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania. From what I'd learned there were ruins of a military base there; one which had been used by a variety of people and organizations at different times, including Division X (one of the predecessors of SHIELD) and the army of the US. Public records stated there had been some kind of nuclear accident back in '79, which had made it necessary to close the facility. However, according to some files Darcy had gotten access to (possibly in a less than legal manner), that had been when Colonel William Stryker had taken over the facility, using it to further the program known as Weapon X; which basically meant experimenting on mutants and all the ways they could be used as weapons. It sickened and enraged me in turns.

We were the first to arrive; Fury had made sure we'd be there early. According to him it was so we could make sure it wasn't a trap; most of the members of the Avengers Initiative scoffed at the idea, but still, we got there.

Darcy was sitting on the floor practically at the center of our group; mainly so the X-Men would see her right away and know she wasn't being held hostage or anything of the like; while at the same time keeping with our own instincts to look after her.

Jane was there too, something I knew made Thor more stressed out than he'd normally be (he was overprotective like that). Sif actually had instructions to stay close to Jane and Darcy if a fight broke out and keep them safe. The Warriors Three weren't actually in the realm; while the plan was to get them to join us when the time came to fight, it'd proven to be a bad idea for them to stay too long in the mortal world, they simply seemed to be incapable of fitting in (and the fact that Fandral had managed to insult no less than a dozen women and get attacked by at least half as many in less than three days hadn't been good either).

When the X-Men arrived, they did so as a group. In the middle stood Secretary Irene Xavier-Darkholme, with her white eyes and straight silver-hair to her shoulders, she wore a pale blue dress and a cloak of the same color. With her was Raven Xavier-Darkholme, Mystique, all blue scaly-skin, short red hair and amber eyes, in a somewhat skimpy black-leather suit. The rest of the X-Men were attired in the more traditional black-leather suits which they'd become known for since becoming a world-known organization. I was even able to identify them, after having seen all kinds of articles, videos and pictures that Darcy had gotten for me. There were Professor X and Magneto on the two women's right; Wolverine, Rogue and a shorter woman I couldn't quite see from my angle but imagined had to be Hekate, as the three seemed to always been together. Behind them, in a wide and somewhat loose formation were the rest of the X-Men: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Nightcrawler, Blink, Psylocke, Angel, Gambit, Shadowcat and Colossus.

"Here you have us, Director Fury of SHIELD." Secretary Xavier-Darkholme called, her voice following a somewhat odd tempo.

"Secretary Xavier..." Fury called stoically.

"For the current proceedings the name Destiny will suffice." The silver-haired woman stated in a serene tone.

I couldn't help but wonder how telling her name was. Was she a precog? If so, how strong? I'd known many people capable of predicting the future to various degrees and with different levels of accuracy. The most numerous were the elves, almost all who were born with any magic had the gift of Sight; even if each of them used it in different ways. Still, the most famous had been the Lady Santiel, millennia ago; while her successor, Lady Thenidiel had the gift, though it didn't seem to be as strong. I thought there might have been another, but couldn't quite remember...

"Destiny," Thor seemed to pick up on my line of thought, at least to a point. "Could that mean, my lady, that you know already what brings us all here?"

"We're all here for a variety of reasons, rather than a single one, King Thor of Asgard." Her very words seemed to confirm our thoughts. "Some reasons haven't quite revealed themselves yet, but they will in due time."

"Enough of the cryptic remarks, we're here to do business." Fury stated coldly.

"That's where you're wrong." Mystique retorted. "The X-Men... the mutant community will never do business with SHIELD. We haven't forgotten the way you and your predecessors have treated us through the years."

"Then what's the point of this meeting?" Fury demanded, angry.

"We said we won't do business with you," Magneto pointed out. "We aren't necessarily against doing so with the Avengers Initiative..."

"That's completely ridiculous," Fury scoffed. "The Avengers Initiative is part of SHIELD and..."

"Done!" Tony cut off. "As of this moment the Avengers Initiative is independent of SHIELD!" He made a pause as he glanced at the people around him. "Unless anyone here has a complaint?"

"You cannot do that Stark!" The Director barked.

"You'll find that I very well can." Tony Stark retorted with an almost predatory grin. "Wanna know why?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me..." The sarcasm in Director Fury was evident, but Stark cared not at all about it.

"History lesson, boys and girls, pay attention!" The billionaire called cheerily. "The Strategic Scientific Reserve was founded in the early forties to fight the threat that was HYDRA, the Nazi's super weapons division. The SSR, as we all know, was one of SHIELD's mother agencies... and yet it's not that simple. The other agency that is considered as predecessor for SHIELD was Division X, here in America, and that one disappeared in the early to mid sixties, sometime after the mess that was the Cuban Missile Crisis... which is a whole other story, really. Even the SSR would have closed in the late seventies; with so many of the Commandos either dead or retired and little hope of ever finding Captain America... until Howard Stark gave them the capital they needed to survive. At least until the mid eighties, when SHIELD was officially founded."

"What does that have to do with anything Stark?" Agent Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow, asked, half annoyed, half curious.

"The point is that during its last years the SSR was no longer a government agency, not really. And it's not like England needed them, they already had MI5 and MI6, and everything else... which means the SSR was private, and technically owned by Howard Stark." Stark announced, sounding like a boy who'd just gotten the presents of a dozen birthdays in a single day. "Then there's the fact of his heavy involvement on the American side of the equation... you know what that means, Fury dear...?"

"It's not possible." The director was in absolute denial.

"Oh, it is very possible." Stark was almost laughing by that point. "I had my lawyers go through all the paperwork."

"Someone mind telling me what's going on?" Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man (though he was more of a boy, still in his late teens), asked. "Because I'm still not getting it."

"What Tony is saying is that he... well, he pretty much owns SHIELD, or at least a percentage of it." Banner summarized, the hint of a smile on his face as well.

"And what are you planning to do with it...?" Phil Coulson asked, doubtful.

"Nothing at all!" Tony exclaimed dramatically. "I have no interest in your agency whatsoever Nicky. I do, however, have an interest in the Avengers Initiative..." His eyes narrowed and there wasn't a hint of humor in his voice when he added. "Of course, that may change if you choose to fight me on this matter... will you fight me on this, Fury?"

Nick Fury didn't answer verbally, instead he simply turned around abruptly, leaving.

Phil Coulson hesitated in his spot all of three seconds before Tony spoke up again:

"You're welcome to stay, Agent." He stated. "As long as we're all understood that the X-Men will be allying with the Avengers, not with SHIELD. They will still follow the authority of no one but their own people, as they've chosen, and there will be no talk of any Indexes, registration, or anything of the like. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Coulson replied, relaxing back into place.

I wasn't sure what Director Fury might think about that, but it wasn't like he could complain. It appeared that Tony had prepared for everything... somehow.

"Oh Tony... you didn't have to do all that. You know that, right?"

It took me a second to realize it was Professor X speaking; and a couple more to wonder when exactly he'd moved. For in that moment he was practically in front of Tony Stark, rather than on the other side of the meeting place. Then, as if that weren't shocking enough, we all bore witness as the Iron Man suit unfolded, allowing Tony Stark to step out of it (wearing nothing but his dark-gray flight-suit and boots), seemingly without a care, before going on one knee right before the wheelchair-bound man.

"I know, but I still wanted to." Tony said, quiet and heartfelt. "My father failed you, uncle Charles, I wasn't about to do that."

"You're not your father Tony..." The Professor said softly, running a hand through the billionaire's hair. "You're by far a better man that he could have ever hoped to be."

From the corner of my eye I could see Captain Rogers's eyes narrowing somewhat; but he said nothing to interrupt the moment.

It was as if the little exchange served as some kind of signal, as the invisible lines vanished and the two groups began mingling. Aside from Tony and Darcy, Steve was the only one to recognize anyone among the X-Men.

"James...?!" He cried out in shock, eyes fixed straight on the one they called Wolverine.

"Huh...?" There was no recognition in the feral-looking man as he looked at Rogers. "I have no idea who you are bub, or who you seem to think I am..."

"I am Steve, Steve Rogers...? Captain America?" The man offered. "We served together during WWII. You were a colonel in the Canadian Army: James Howlett."

"World War II...?" Wolverine repeated, turning to look at his partner at his side, who only shook his head. "I don't remember. Go by Logan nowadays, or Wolverine."

"He was... things happened to him, in the 1980's or something, adamantium bullet to the head." Rogue's answer, shocking as it would have been for almost anyone, managed to sound entirely blasé as she said it. "He recovered from the wound just fine, but most of his memories got lost. He remembers hardly anything that happened before 1986 or so."

Rogers nodded amiably; I had no doubt that he probably didn't understand a thing, still, he chose not to push. I wondered if it was because he didn't want to end up even more confused; or maybe, with all the people he'd already lost after all his years in the ice, he wasn't ready to learn all the ways he'd lost yet another.

I didn't get much time to ponder on that, however... as it was then that my eyes laid on her... Her, with skin like cream and roses, bright hazel eyes, wavy auburn hair and just a little over five feet in height (even though she was apparently wearing thick-soled black-leather boots). I knew her, would have known her even blind and deaf...

"Brother...?" Thor was suddenly by my side.

I didn't answer him, I couldn't seem to find the words. And yet, I somehow didn't need to; apparently at some point in the last few years Thor had become insightful enough to accurately guess what was going on; or perhaps it was simply that he knew me enough.

"Is that her then?" He asked, though we were both quite aware he knew the answer already. "Your Lady Nightingale?"

"That is her indeed..." I answered anyway. "It wasn't supposed to be this way, brother. She was supposed to be safe!" I shook my head. "Your Jane brought the matter up, not days ago. When I told her of my intentions not to look for my Nightingale until the present conflict with Thanos and his army was past. She brought up the possibility of her becoming involved with some agency. I know SHIELD would have been quite interested in someone with her knowledge of mythology, history and languages; particularly where it connects with the 9 Realms."

"And coming from someone who knows the difference between myth and reality..." Thor added in understanding. "Her help would have been valuable to them, indeed."

"Which is why I made sure they knew not that she existed." I added. "The last thing I ever wanted was for her to be at risk, yet now..."

"Yet now here she stands." He finished for me, nodding in understanding. "You must tell her the truth brother. The lady deserves to know." His expression turned rueful. "We both know how Jane would react in her situation, I imagine your lady's reaction would be no less. She has found her way here already..."

I knew what he meant. It wasn't like my keeping or releasing that particular secret would change the fact that she was already there. My Nightingale was an X-Woman, she was already very much involved in the upcoming conflict against Thanos... and she deserved to move forth with all her knowledge, abilities and memories...

With that in mind I took a deep breath before walking forward, until I was standing but a handful of feet away from her. For her part, she'd finally separated from Wolverine, Rogue and Captain Rogers and was talking with several of her teammates as well as Tony, Darcy and Coulson. She turned hazel eyes at me the moment I got close enough, it was almost as if she could actually sense me; and while there wasn't exactly recognition in them, there was something very close to it. She moved her hand and I could see as she reached for the pendant hanging from her neck, a necklace I remembered very well, for it had been I who'd had it commissioned, who'd placed it on her neck in secret, the night after her memories had been sealed. The pendant had been spelled to be invisible until such a time we wished otherwise, and I couldn't begin to imagine what could have made it appear; and yet she seemed to have formed such an attachment to it already... there was a story there, I knew, one I needed to learn. Hopefully I would, once I'd made things right between us...

Taking one last deep breath, I stared straight into her eyes as I pronounced the words that would change everything irremediably:

"Min Nattergal..."

**xXx Nightingale's POV xXx**

When the idea of meeting with SHIELD first came up no one wanted to so much as consider the possibility. Never mind that a mutant, a former student of the Institute was vouching for the group wanting to meet with us. I knew their reticence was, in no small part, due to the things Rogue (pretending to be me) and Dr. MacTaggert had been put through the last two times the organization got anywhere near us. The fact that Aunt Kathryn had known the current Director and knew him to be stuck-up, paranoid and with no love for mutants didn't help matters any, either. Then came Irene's involvement...

Irene Xavier-Darkholme (nee Adler), also known as Destiny. She was probably the most talented and powerful precog in the world. She also happened to be Raven's match. Despite that she'd stayed away, keeping distance for the longest time; until the day she'd arrived with a suitcase to the mansion's gates, asking for Raven Xavier and babbling about how everything had changed. It was much later that we... or at least I, found out what that meant.

" _You changed it." She had told me. "I know that a lot of people say that destiny isn't written in stone. While that isn't a complete lie, it's not fully true either. Some things have been written, not quite in stone, but in the stars, since the beginning of time. You believe in Matches, don't you? It's like that. While free will does exist, some things are just meant to be. Like how Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr were always meant to lead mutant-kind, whether together or apart; though I see a much brighter future now that they are, indeed, together." Her voice turned quieter as she added. "Like you were always meant to be a Warrior, with memories or without them."_

_I understood it then, she knew about my locked memories; she probably even knew who'd locked them and why; and yet I didn't ask. I wanted to believe that if it were anything bad she would tell me, and if things were meant to be..._

" _What changed?" I chose to focus on what she'd said first._

" _For the longest time there has been a dark spot in the future. A moment of absolute chaos and despair. A handful of days that would either destroy mutant-kind forever, or allow it to rise again, depending on the choices of a handful of people. They were choices I couldn't interfere with, too much depended on them and things could so easily have gone wrong..."_

" _And now?" I still didn't understand._

" _And now that darkness is gone. All the decisions have been made already, without chaos and despair to force any hands. They were made a week ago, and while none of those choices were yours to make, you were there..."_

_I finally understood it then, Magneto's... no, Erik's choice at the doors of the Dark Cerebro; the moment when he'd chosen Charles over his war... that was the choice that changed everything. Or at least, the first of them. I imagined Charles's own choices, to join the two groups, to learn to compromise, had been quite important as well._

" _Did I do something wrong?" I asked hesitantly._

" _Not at all." She assured me with a soft smile, staring at me through unseeing eyes. "However, now so much has changed, I had to come... it was the only way I would be able to find her." Her voice went so very low I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear what came next: "This time things will be better, this time we'll have a home... and a family..."_

None of us knew how Raven (and she was truly Raven again, whenever not on a mission) had taken meeting Irene, learning they were meant to be together, though it hadn't taken more than a few months for them to marry, not long after Jean and Scott's own nuptials. It'd been shortly afterwards that Erik and Charles had finally given in and gotten married as well.

Marie and Logan were together, mates; they didn't marry simply because they didn't see the point. Marriage was nothing more than a piece of paper to them.

Kurt and Ororo had begun a relationship recently, and while it was still somewhat tentative, they were both quite happy with it, and with each other. As were Kitty and Piotr for that matter.

Upon McCoy's appointment to ambassador for the UN, someone else was needed to take his place as Secretary of Mutant Affairs. Someone had suggested me, or even my sister, yet the last thing either of us wanted was to get into the political game again. Irene had the right disposition for the job, and so she'd taken it.

It was also Irene who'd told us it was safe to meet Wallflower and her friends; and not only that, but that we needed to, for the sake of not only the X-Men, or even the mutant community as a whole, but the whole world... that had been a sobering thought.

So we'd arranged the meeting for two days later, in Three-Mile-Island. Logan had actually barked a laugh at that, while Raven doubted they would understand the significance of us choosing that of all places, to meet.

We'd known they'd be arriving early, paranoid as Director Fury was said to be. We didn't care. We knew our strengths and were ready to act if we were to be double-crossed (though Irene had insisted that wouldn't happen). So we got to the island right on time and approached Wallflower and her colleagues in a somewhat loose formation.

"Here you have us, Director Fury of SHIELD." Irene spoke, in her usual somewhat rhythmic voice as she lead us.

Since she was the new Secretary of Mutant Affrais it had felt right to have her lead us in. Raven (or Mystique) was of course right by her side; with Professor X and Magneto on one side, Rogue, Wolverine and I on the other, and the rest behind us; including the most recent member of the X-Men: Gambit (aka Remy LeBeau) a former thief and con-artist, his ability consisted on imbuing objects with kinetic energy, not counting his superb gymnastic abilities. He'd also been a prisoner at Three Mile Island at one point; Wolverine had known him, before losing his memory.

The man had arrived to the mansion weeks earlier, along with Logan and Marie; who'd been traveling around for a while, taking time to be just them, while exploring Logan's memories (at least those he'd managed to recall). It was how they'd met Remy in New Orleans, and eventually convinced him to give the Institute a chance.

"Secretary Xavier..." Fury called stoically.

"For the current proceedings the name Destiny will suffice." While she didn't wear the same attire as us X-Men, she was one of us, there was no doubt about that.

"Destiny," A tall, broad-shouldered blonde that 'felt' somehow different from almost everyone else on SHIELD's side (all but one that wasn't fully in my line of sight) called. "Could that mean, my lady, that you know already what brings us all here?"

"We're all here for a variety of reasons, rather than a single one, King Thor of Asgard." Destiny stated calmly. "Some reasons haven't quite revealed themselves yet, but they will in due time."

"Enough of the cryptic remarks, we're here to do business." Fury stated coldly.

"That's where you're wrong." Mystique retorted. "The X-Men... the mutant community will never do business with SHIELD. We haven't forgotten the way you and your predecessors have treated us through the years."

"Then what's the point of this meeting?" Fury demanded, angry.

"We said we won't do business with you," Magneto pointed out. "We aren't necessarily against doing so with the Avengers Initiative..."

"That's completely ridiculous," Fury scoffed. "The Avengers Initiative is part of SHIELD and..."

"Done!" Iron Man called promptly, in a tone that showed no surprise. "As of this moment the Avengers Initiative is independent of SHIELD!" He made a pause as he glanced at the people around him. "Unless anyone here has a complaint?"

"You cannot do that Stark!" The Director barked.

"You'll find that I very well can." I didn't think I was imagining Stark's satisfaction as he said that. "Wanna know why?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me..." The sarcasm in Director Fury was evident, but Stark didn't seem to care one iota.

"History lesson, boys and girls, pay attention!" The billionaire called cheerily. "The Strategic Scientific Reserve was founded in the early forties to fight the threat that was HYDRA, the Nazi's super weapons division. The SSR, as we all know, was one of SHIELD's mother agencies... and yet it's not that simple. The other agency that is considered as predecessor for SHIELD was Division X, here in America, and that one disappeared in the early to mid sixties, sometime after the mess that was the Cuban Missile Crisis... which is a whole other story, really. Even the SSR would have closed in the late seventies; with so many of the Commandos either dead or retired and little hope of ever finding Captain America... until Howard Stark gave them the capital they needed to survive. At least until the mid eighties, when SHIELD was officially founded."

"What does that have to do with anything Stark?" Agent Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow, asked, half annoyed, half curious.

"The point is that during its last years the SSR was no longer a government agency, not really. And it's not like England needed them, they already had MI5 and MI6, and everything else... which means the SSR was private, and technically owned by Howard Stark." Stark announced, sounding almost giddy as he said it. "Then there's the fact of his heavy involvement on the American side of the equation... you know what that means, Fury dear...?"

"It's not possible." The director was in absolute denial.

"Oh, it is very possible." Stark was almost laughing by that point. "I had my lawyers go through all the paperwork."

"Someone mind telling me what's going on?" The youngest on SHIELD's side asked. "Because I'm still not getting it."

Truth be told, he wasn't the only one. Then again, business had never been my forte.

"What Tony is saying is that he... well, he pretty much owns SHIELD, or at least a percentage of it." Dr. Banner summarized, the hint of a smile on his face as well.

"And what are you planning to do with it...?" Phil Coulson asked, doubtful.

"Nothing at all!" Stark exclaimed dramatically. "I have no interest in your agency whatsoever Nicky. I do, however, have an interest in the Avengers Initiative..." His eyes narrowed and there wasn't a hint of humor in his voice when he added. "Of course, that may change if you choose to fight me on this matter... will you fight me on this, Fury?"

Nick Fury didn't answer verbally, instead he simply turned around abruptly, leaving. And as he left all I could wonder was if that was really the man Aunt Kathryn had loved her whole life...

The man in the suit, whom my sister informed me was Agent Philip Coulson, hesitated in his spot all of three seconds before Stark spoke up again:

"You're welcome to stay, Agent." He stated. "As long as we're all understood that the X-Men will be allying with the Avengers, not with SHIELD. They will still follow the authority of no one but their own people, as they've chosen, and there will be no talk of any Indexes, registration, or anything of the like. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Coulson replied, relaxing back into place.

Irene was actually smiling, and I wondered if she'd known all along that was how things would turn out. Was that why she'd been so relaxed about the meeting? I also realized that Tony Stark intervening on our behalf... it was important, I was missing something and I had no idea what it was. And then the answer came, almost on its own:

"Oh Tony... you didn't have to do all that. You know that, right?" The words came from none other than the Professor.

As the Iron Man suit folded out, Tony Stark stepped out and went on one knee before Charles, I suddenly remembered (or more like Rogue remembered, and connected as we were, I saw it as well, though I'd seen it before, years prior): Charles Xavier and Howard Stark had known each other; Howard had worked with Charles's father before the latter's death. Howard had been a favorite uncle of Charles for many years, until the Professor had learned of Stark's involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis... While Howard was nowhere near Stryker's level of hate, paranoia and mutant-phobia (to call it something) he didn't like mutants, especially not when they weren't being 'supervised' by the government. It was mere coincidence that he hadn't known of Charles's involvement before the Professor had altered everyone's memories just enough so they wouldn't be able to place him. After that the Professor had put some distance between him and Stark.

Then Tony was born... Charles had tried to be something of an uncle to the boy, and while there were some good days; there were also bad ones, when Howard refused to allow it, when he'd get maudlin and issue half-veiled threats to Charles and his school (though he never actually knew that the Professor was a mutant, or the kind of students the Institute received).

Tony, on the other hand, he'd been too much of a genius not to connect the dots. And yet he'd never said a thing. He'd made sure to keep his grades in such a level that he wasn't considered 'gifted' and therefore not a candidate for the Xavier Institute (where Howard had wanted him to go more than once); until Howard caught him at it. At which point Tony blew through all kinds of records and statistics and went straight to college (and since the Institute only offered as far as High-School, he still wouldn't be attending there).

Stark Industries had never made a stand, regarding mutants; though those in certain circles knew that mutants could go to SI looking for a job and be taken in (or rejected) based entirely on their abilities and not what their genetic material said. SI lawyers had been known to step in whenever a mutant worker faced discrimination or was victim of a hate crime; and a number of people had been either suspended or fired following negative comments or actions against mutants (or any other minority for that matter).

"I know, but I still wanted to." Tony Stark said in response to Charles's words, quiet and heartfelt. "My father failed you, uncle Charles, I wasn't about to do that."

"You're not your father Tony..." The Professor said softly, running a hand through the billionaire's hair. "You're by far a better man that he could have ever hoped to be."

From the corner of my eye I could see Captain Rogers's eyes narrowing somewhat; but he said nothing to interrupt the moment.

The little exchange seemed to serve as signal for the rest of us to get closer. I couldn't help but turn to look at the broad-shouldered blonde every so often. It wasn't that I had a crush (which I just knew was what my sister would say if she happened to notice), but there was just something about him... it wasn't him directly, but his presence it was (almost) reminding me of something, yet I couldn't actually put my finger on it, and it was driving me crazy!

Thankfully Rogue wasn't noticing a thing, she was a bit distracted with Wolverine and a man who was presumably Captain America (the original one, from the 1940s) and who it appeared had known Logan back then!

I got distracted from both those matters when the Professor used a light telepathic pull to call on me. With a light signal to my sister so she wouldn't worry I walked to where he, Magneto, Destiny, Mystique, Tony Stark, Wallflower and Agent Coulson were apparently talking.

"And you are...?" Stark asked, looking at me with an arched brow.

"Hekate." I introduced myself simply. "I was also known as Canary in the past."

"Miss Canary, Arianna Adler, was said to be blonde, with different features." Agent Coulson, expression bland, yet attentive.

"Ever heard of disguises?" I asked, as I focused my illusions just enough to take the image of Canary very briefly, to prove my point. "It was easier that way. Especially when McKenna was still in power and we were as likely to be helped as we were to be arrested... things have gotten better with Cockrum, but it's still safer if we keep taking precautions."

"Your Destiny doesn't disguise herself." Coulson pointed out.

Almost all of us snorted. Really, Irene was a precog, quite possibly the most powerful ever... if anyone could do the kind of job she did and be safe... well.

"I'm Wallflower." The blue-eyed, brunette chose that very moment to introduce herself, probably to break the tension. "I'm better known as Darcy Lewis."

"It's a pleasure." I responded, though I still didn't give my civilian name.

It was one thing I'd learned from Erik. My given name was only meant for my family and friends; to everyone else I was Hekate, X-Woman (or Canary, depending on the situation and company), and that was that.

They began talking about plans, for strategy meetings and joint training. My only contribution to the discussion was concerning the timetables for the current semester; as we'd have to work around them, least we neglect the students (something that couldn't be allowed to happen). Stark also offered his mansion in Malibu as a safe place to send the children to, if the battle ended happening in New York or somewhere nearby. Before that the best option had been Salani Manor, but I knew Maine might end up being too close; in any case it was good having options.

I was about to say something to Stark's suggestion of having the teams rotating to spend time with the Avengers in Stark Tower when I felt as if something had just shocked me. Instinctively I spun around, ignoring Charles's surprised call (he'd probably felt my surprise), as I came face to face with a very tall, ebony-black haired man in a sharp dark-gray tailored suit and gray-green scarf. My hazel eyes met a pair of deep, jade green with reminded me quite strongly of the jade-dizi I'd had to leave behind in Westchester (something very rare, as I usually carried it with me everywhere I went). There was something in those eyes, something I knew was there, in a corner of my head, of my heart, yet I couldn't grasp it, it kept slipping like sand between my fingers and it was driving me crazy, even as I instinctively reached for the bird pendant around my neck, looking for something to hold onto.

And then his mouth opened, two words came out, two words that changed everything:

"Min nattergal..."

**xXx 3** **rd** **Person POV xXx**

A sepulchral silence befell the island at the same time a pair of black-leather clad knees hit the ground, a soundless cry leaving the auburn-haired, hazel-eyed girl's lips as she curled in on herself, seeking protection from something she couldn't understand; and through it all she never let go of the bird pendant hanging from her neck.

A second later it was all a flurry of movement. Cries of: sister, Hekate and Silbhé. Rogue was beside her fallen adopted sister in seconds, Wolverine at her back, claws already drawn; while the rest of the X-Men took formation around them.

The moment the X-Men had approached Tony's first instinct had been to get back into his armor; he knew that was a bad idea, the mutants might see it as a sign of aggression, and he still didn't understand what had just happened. So instead he just raised for hands, trying to look as far from threatening as possible.

Beside him Darcy seemed to disappear for a few seconds, but then she was there, looking straight at Coulson, trying to convey with her eyes how bad an idea it would be for the agent to draw the weapon he'd his hand on. It was obvious some of the mutants had a hair-trigger, the last thing they needed was for a fight to break out.

What no one knew, was what was happening in that moment inside a certain young woman. As locks shattered and walls were taken down (figuratively) a rush of images, words and feelings inundated her head, and her heart: a young-looking boy with black hair and green eyes seemingly appearing in her garden in Salani manor out of nowhere, asking her what she was doing; a black jade Chinese traversal flute left for her, a gift; him giving her a new name, that of Nightingale; and the moment when she'd told him she knew that wasn't what he looked like, and his formed changed before her very eyes, from a boy into a man... into the very man she'd last laid eyes on before losing herself into the rush of memories... of her memories. The same that had been under lock and key for so long...

That was just the beginning. The memories came in a rush, with no rhyme or reason. She'd recall a moment when he'd caught her singing at age sixteen and she'd flushed in embarrassment; and then the first time she'd created a song in her flute, when she was eleven; when at fourteen she'd laid on her bed, panting, dying... until she'd placed a certain cuff-bracelet around her wrist: the deamarkonian (spelled to draw on the energy of the one wearing its pair, filtering it to her, so the energy would fight the cancer, help her stay alive). The last memory was the most shocking:

" _Loki!" The teenager with auburn hair and hazel eyes called brightly. "You're here early..."_

_Her voice broke off and her smile vanished as she noticed the too-solemn expression on her best friend's face. She knew instantly something was wrong._

" _The Allfather has found out about you..." Loki revealed in a rush. "I have no idea how this happened. I've been so careful! You were occluded, and I made sure to always use the Shadow Paths when coming to Earth... your house is completely shielded! I have no idea what I did wrong, how we could have been discovered, it shouldn't have happened!"_

" _I take it he doesn't agree with our friendship..." She tried to smile, but her eyes were sad. "When are they coming for me? Will they hurt Aunt Kathryn...?"_

" _No, they will not hurt Kathryn, she knows nothing except for my fake human name, she's never even seen me, so she's in no danger." Loki reassured her. "And about coming for you... they're coming tomorrow, but they don't want you, per say..."_

" _I don't understand..." She truly didn't._

" _The law states that we are not to interfere in the lives of mortals." Loki said in a blank tone. "So every sign of interference will be taken away..."_

_It was quite obvious, by the expression on the girl's face, the moment she understood what that meant. There was confusion, then shock, horror, and finally resignation._

" _They're coming for my memories..." She nodded, letting out a breath._

_Suddenly, something else seemed to occur to her, as she reached with her left hand for the golden engraved bracelet on her right wrist._

" _Will they take this too?" She asked quietly._

" _They don't know it exists, and they cannot see it unless we allow it." He reminded her. "And even if they knew I wouldn't allow it. I would die first..."_

" _That doesn't seem right." She shook her head in denial. "My life is not worth yours Loki."_

" _It is, worth that and so much more... if there were any way I could stop this from happening... but I don't know how, I don't even know how we were found!"_

" _Maybe we aren't supposed to, maybe it's simply something that was meant to happen sooner or later." She sighed. "Most secrets cannot be kept as such forever..."_

" _Not forever, just long enough for me to find a way to keep you safe." He shook his head derisively. "I suppose it's useless to talk about such things now."_

_He made a violent motion in the air, furious at himself; he felt so impotent, not being able to help her, protect her, to change their situation any..._

" _It's alright, my friend..." She whispered quietly as she took his hand in hers._

" _No, it's not." He insisted, still letting her hold him, it made him feel a bit better. "If I knew we stood a chance I would take you right now, we would run away. I would take you anywhere on this realm, or even another, to keep you safe..."_

" _We cannot spend the rest of our lives running..." She said quietly, raising a hand to caress his cheek. "It's not right. Besides, a life constantly hiding and running is hardly any life at all. And you deserve much better than that."_

" _So do you, you deserve everything I could ever give you, and far better than what the Allfather has decreed for you." He practically snarled the last part._

" _We must believe things happen for a reason, both the good and the bad." She insisted._

_He didn't seem to agree, but he still chose not to contradict her; he realized there was no point, ranting and raving wouldn't change their situation any..._

" _You know, I always knew it might come to this." She revealed unexpectedly._

" _What...?!" He wasn't expecting that._

" _What you said about Odin declaring there was to be no interference, I read it somewhere, long before I began to truly study mythology." She explained calmly. "I knew us being friends, if we were to ever be discovered, would have its consequences. And I didn't care. I decided that being your friend was well worth any and all risks and possible dangers there might be."_

" _I'm not worth..."_

" _Sh..." She placed a finger on his lips, stopping his self-recrimination. "You are worth anything and everything I have and could ever have. No matter what happens tomorrow, or at any point during the rest of my life, I will never regret the last six years..."_

" _No you won't... you won't even remember most of it! Certainly nothing that has to do with me." He practically hissed._

" _I won't lie to you, I do wish there was a way..." The hazel-eyed admitted quietly. "Some way we could, I don't know, make them think they had taken all the memories, and later I could retrieve them somehow... someway I could hide at least some of those memories from them... but I am not a telepath, I cannot do that kind of thing..."_

_Abruptly, Loki's expression changed dramatically, all the tension left his body and it was as if some new energy were filling him._

" _There is a way..." He practically gasped._

" _What...?" She had no idea what he meant._

" _You might not be a telepath, but I am a Sorcerer, one of the best in all the realms..." He reminded her brightly. "I can protect your memories..."_

And that was exactly what he'd done. He'd protected her memories, put them under lock and key; only to be released when such a time came that they'd no longer be a risk to her... did that mean the time had finally come? How...? When...?

Her line of thought was derailed as she became aware of something else, the mood surrounding her, the negativity, the tension. They were all on edge and a fight would break out any second unless something was done.

Hekate/Nightingale's reaction was instinctive. She rose to her feet fast and fluid, moving with a gracefulness that she hadn't known she possessed.

"I'm alright." She called to everyone around, focusing on imbuing her voice with power, with conviction (she hadn't known she could do that either). "There's no need to fight."

"Of course there's a need!" Wolverine spat angrily. "He hurt you!"

It was almost ironic how distrustful the Wolverine could be most of the time, and yet his love for Marie had pulled him to Silbhé as well. She was his sister, to his instincts they were both pack, and that was important. It meant he would protect them with all his power.

"He didn't hurt me." The hazel-eyed said very softly, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder, and another on her sister's arm. "He freed me."

Rogue seemed to be the first to understand the true meaning behind the words.

"He had the key?!" Rogue cried out, turning to face her.

"He was the key." Hekate corrected. "His voice, his words..."

"What did he call you?" Mystique asked, intrigued.

"Nightingale," She answered, very softly, as her eyes went looking for the green ones of the god of mischief again. "His Nightingale..."

"His...?" That time Wolverine was the first to pick up on the significance of those words.

"His." Hekate/Nightingale confirmed, at the same time she found him.

She finally found him then, and it was as if the rest of the world ceased to exist. The young woman stepped past the circle of X-Men, no one tried to stop her, most of them probably still a bit shocked about everything. In no time at all she was standing before Loki, and then she raised a hand, cupping his cheek.

"My Maverick..." She breathed out.

That was all the confirmation he needed, that and the light in her eyes, the recognition. Also, the possessive pronoun before the title told him everything else he needed to know.

A moment later they were in each other's arms, kissing with a mix of tenderness and passion only those who'd found their matches could understand. It was love, and friendship, and commitment, and perfection... it was everything.

**xXx**

It still wasn't easy, even with the connection that Tony Stark being Charles's nephew, Darcy Lewis/Wallflower working for SHIELD (and, as they later discovered, in a relationship with Phil Coulson) and Hekate/Nightingale being Loki's match granted them, it still didn't automatically mean that they all trusted each other. It would take time, time they might not have.

There were also other things to consider. Nightingale and Loki had been apart for five years, and while they knew they were meant to be a match they had never actually been together, not even before the memories had been blocked. They didn't know how to be together. It took a while for them to find their footing. The hardest part was for Loki to deal with the fact that Hekate was an X-Woman, and she wasn't quitting; she was a warrior through and through and she would be right there with the rest of them when the battle finally came. All Loki could hope was that all the spells he'd placed on the nightingale pendant would be enough to keep her safe (they certainly had saved her life at least once already).

One night Tony was taking advantage of his insomnia to work on some new inventions (which was pretty much the norm with him), when JARVIS unexpectedly cut off the rock music he'd been playing at the highest volume (also the usual for him), and instead something else began filtering through the speakers. A soft melody, begun in a flute, until a soft voice took it on:

"Time is a river that flows endlessly  
And a life is a whisper, a kiss in a dream  
Shadows dance behind the firelight  
And all the spirits of the night remind us:  
We are not alone  
Tomorrow: a sun soon rising  
And yesterday is there beside us  
And it's never far away."

Tony didn't ask JARVIS what he was doing, he knew already. The first time the second team of X-Men had stayed the night, he'd found it curious when, at nine on the dot, Hekate had dropped what she'd been doing and stepped out to the viewing deck to 'make a call'. It'd been easy enough to engage the mikes on the second level. That was the first time he'd heard the Nightingale sing. Since then JARVIS had standing instructions to interrupt whatever Tony might be listening to at any given time so he might be able to hear her sing whenever she did. Of course that had never actually happened at... one-thirty in the morning, according to the clock in his workshop.

"If you listen to the wind you can hear me again  
Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song  
High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves  
Listen to the wind, there's no end to my..."

By the end of the fifth verse Tony Stark knew there was something off by the way Nightingale was singing (beyond the late hour). He also discovered he wasn't the only one to think that when he made it to the penthouse, only to find almost everyone else living in the Tower, converging right there, all expressions showing various degrees of concern. No one knew what was going on, but they all knew something was, and it was definitely something huge... and then the Maverick, Loki Friggason made his own appearance, and his eyes showed the very same thing they could all hear in Nightingale's voice; it was then that they could all give it a name: desperation.

"Love is forever a circle unbroken  
The seasons keep changing; it always remains  
Spring will melt the snows of winter  
And the summer gives us days of light  
So long till autumn makes them fade  
Remember the sound of laughter  
We ran together through the meadows  
Still we thought our hearts could break"

It was as if some kind of spell had been cast over them all: Avengers and X-Men as they stood by the glass-wall that separated the penthouse-level from the viewing deck. No one said a word, but they all watched as the Nightingale stood near the edge of the deck, eyes to the night-sky, singing her heart out. While her match approached her, ever so slowly, each step measured and so unlike him it was obvious he could feel something was going on, might even have some idea what it might be or... or maybe it was just that he was feeling the exact same thing the Nightingale did.

"If you listen to the wind, you can hear me again  
Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song  
High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves  
Listen to the wind and I'll send you my love."

It was in that point that Nightingale finally spun around, the soft night-robe agitating her night-robe as well as her long loose hair. She was barefoot, yet didn't seem to notice it, and also...

"Oh Norns..." Thor breathed out, absolutely shocked.

"What is it?" Jane asked beside him, confused. "What do you see Thor?"

"The light of the stars in her eyes." The Asgardian King answered.

It was obvious no one but him understood what that meant, exactly, yet it was important somehow, they could all sense that much. And through it all, the song went on:

"Listen to the wind where the sky meets the land  
I'm not really gone I've been here all along  
High up in the trees in the sound of the leaves  
Listen to the wind there's no end to my..."

"Time is a river that flows to the sea  
And a life is a whisper, a kiss in a dream..."

"Tinúviel..." Loki breathed out as he extended both hands to cup the face of the woman before him between them. "A'maelamin..."

Nothing else was said, nothing else needed to be said, as the green-eyed sorcerer pulled the hazel-eyed not-quite-human girl to him, capturing her lips with his; in a kiss that was somehow more intense than the one they'd shared in Three-Mile Island.

Even after the kiss ended and they had to separate to breathe nothing happened for the longest time. The moment was broken when the two began to speak again, in tandem, words none of the humans had heard before, yet they instinctively knew were incredibly important:

"From this day on, you will be my only one. I shall look at no other the way I look at you, I shall think of no other the way I think about you, I shall talk to no other the way I talk to you, I shall desire no other the way I desire you, and I shall lay with no other the way I lay with you. I shall be with no other for you are now and forever shall be my one and only; my friend, my lover, my partner, my match…"

The speech was sealed with another kiss, which was accompanied by a flash of light in every color of the rainbow that a number of mortals could actually see, and those who couldn't, could at least sense something else was going on.

"What was that?!" Tony Stark, crass as always, was the one to break the moment to ask the all-too-important question.

"That," It was Sif who answered him, tears running down her cheeks even as she spoke. "What you just witnessed was the renewal of Ancient Vows of a True Match."

"Renewal?!" Marie, Logan and Jane cried out at the same time.

"It's the most beautiful and the most terrifying part of the True Love Matches." Thor declared quietly and full of feeling. "Being together, not just for one lifetime, but for every lifetime."

"Till the very last star is snuffed out of the sky." Logan added quietly.

It took a while longer, but eventually the (newly remarried) couple stepped back inside, still hand in hand, it was as if they couldn't bare to let go of each other. And, as the others would learn in due time, that was very much the case, after nine hundred years apart...

No one said a word as they watched the couple approach them, until Hekate/Nightingale turned unexpectedly to where the X-Men stood.

"Erik!" She called with a bright smile. "I'm not human."

The Master of Magnetism didn't say a word, just raised a brow, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I told you, back at Alkali Lake, that when I knew what I was, I'd let you know." She reminded him. "I'm not human, and I'm not a mutant... I'm everything I once was, and everything I was meant to be. All at the same time. Human, Aesir, Jotun, Elf..."

"Elf...?!" No one understood that.

"My friends," Loki called in a very theatrical tone. "Might I introduce to you, my match and consort: Lady Tinúviel, princess of Alfheim and Asgard."

**xXx**

Weeks later they were all still trying to wrap their heads around it. Around the fact that Silbhé Salani, Canary, Hekate, was actually the reincarnation of a Ljósalfar, a Light-Elf, who'd been crown-princess for twenty years, before giving it all up to marry Loki, becoming princess of Asgard. She'd been married to Loki, had given him a daughter: Hela (Lady of Helheim) then, after almost a century of marriage, had died in most tragic circumstances... and after almost nine hundred years, she was back.

In the end that wasn't so important, at least not to most of those on Earth (humans and mutants both). Whoever she may have been in a past life did not change who she was in that one. And she made sure they all knew it.

Finally, the time came when a chaos portal began opening, and the devices Jane and Dr. Selvig had created ceased working. A hole opened in the sky, right above New York. No one knew if it was entirely accidental, or if Thanos had somehow managed to track one or more of the Warriors ready to do battle. In the end, it was somewhat convenient.

Happy and a number of volunteers from SHIELD, the NYPD and the army coordinated an evacuation of as many blocks as they could around Central Park, hoping to keep the enemy there as much as they could. For that people like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, Storm and a few others focused their powers on keeping a perimeter, not allowing the enemies to get into the rest of the city, and to the innocent humans; the weather manipulators in particular turned their powers to bottle-necking the portal, so as to keep some of the biggest enemies from reaching the planet. The rest turned all their powers and abilities into taking the chitauri down, fast and hard.

While Hulk was the only one who could truly withstand a hit from the huge Leviathans and even taken them down on his own, Colossus could do some damage; and with some help from his girlfriend playing chicken with the fliers he managed to get them to fire on and sometimes even crash against the whale/ship-like creatures. Blink seemed to take great delight in opening portals before enemies, making them go against each other, or their attacks; while Nightcrawler and Angel used their respective abilities to pick the drivers off their chariots and drop them elsewhere (which also caused said chariots to crash, sometimes even taking others down with them). Gambit was having a lot of fun jumping and twisting around, and causing explosions to his heart's content; he seemed to be in particular competition with the Black Widow, who's own gymnastic ability had been seen as the best until that moment; Psylocke also stayed around them, mixing her own martial arts with her psychic abilities. Hawkeye kept an eye over them all from his perch on one of the highest buildings in the area, shooting enemies down with his arrows without hardly looking at them first. Phoenix and Cyclops were together, while his abilities would probably have been useful assisting those keeping the perimeter, his wife needed him to be her anchor, he also guarded her back while she unleashed the full power of her telekinesis, downright vaporizing most of the enemies who got anywhere close to her.

Some distance away from them, Mystique herself was moving fluidly, acting as shield for both her brothers while they focused on the enemy. While the Professor couldn't use his telepathy to manipulate alien minds he couldn't comprehend; they'd discovered the chitauri had a sort of shared-hive-mind, which Professor X could interfere with. That distracted the enemies, made them slower, enough to give other fighters a chance. Magneto had taken a few minutes to fully comprehend how magnetism treated the alien metals in the invader's armor and flying chariots, then he'd focused on taking them apart as much as he could.

It all seemed to be going quite well, until the leviathan made an appearance. Hard as they tried even Storm and Thor together couldn't stop every single of the mammoth creatures from getting through. Magneto steadied his stance, getting ready to turn all his power on the monster.

"Just remember Erik, between Rage and Serenity..." Charles whispered softly to his beloved.

"Oh Charles..." Erik breathed out, raising his hands into a ready position. "In all my years you've ever been my only, truest Serenity..."

After a mental invitation it took Charles no effort to slip into his lover's mind, allowing their two consciousness to mingle... the results were like nothing either could have ever imagined...

Several blocks away Wolverine, Rogue, Hekate and Loki were working together; with Loki using ice to make the leviathan's exoskeleton brittle; something the other three took advantage of to take the creature and the chitauri riding on it, down.

They made a good time. It also took no time for Loki to notice a few things.

"Why is it that you have the same power that Magneto, yet he can do more than you can?" Loki asked Rogue at one point.

"That would be because they're not naturally my powers." Rogue answered as she took a second to breathe. "Much how Hekate said that all she could do was because of you."

She'd really said that at one point, when others had wanted to know more about the scope of her abilities, once she had all her memories. Hekate had then explained how she wasn't born with any powers, not really (she was technically born human), and the only thing her past life could have really given her was a degree of empathy which she believed she'd always had (it'd allowed her to know who to trust, from the first time she'd met Loki at eleven years old...). Everything else she could do because Loki could; it was apparently a secondary effect of the deamarkonian which had saved her from the cancer.

"My actual mutation is being able to take everything from memories and life-force to powers, through the touch of my bare skin." Rogue elaborated.

"Hence all the layers you wear." He'd seen her usual clothes. "Only you don't do that when you're with Nightingale, or Wolverine."

"My sister is immune to my touch." The brunette explained. "We don't know if its the protection of the necklace you gave her, or part of the nature of her powers. Them making her not-human and all that..." She shook her head. "Wolverine is my mate, my match, that makes his immune to me, just like my sister is immune to your ice."

They'd found that out during a training session weeks earlier, mostly by accident.

"Anyway." Rogue went on. "Like I was saying, my true mutation is my touch. It has allowed me to permanently copy the gifts of several others, like Mystique's shape-shifting or Magneto's control over magnetism... I have five additional powers. Now consider this, Magneto is one person, with one power source, himself, for one ability. I am one person, with one power source, for six abilities, and while I can push one or another when I don't need them, right now I need everything I have except probably the shifting!"

Which really explained why, while she could toss chitauri around with a little effort, she couldn't stop a leviathan in its tracks like Magneto had just done...

*That's not just Magneto's power anymore.* Nightingale whispered softly into her match's mind.

*No, it's not.* Loki agreed, he could sense it too. *Two have become one, in mind, heart and soul... I wondered if they knew they could do that.*

Nightingale/Hekate had no idea, though as the joint consciousness blanketed everything in what was probably several miles round, she could perceive a new name: Onslaught...

The battle had been going on for a while when Darcy and Phil seemed to appear, out of nowhere, right beside Rogue and Wolverine. Rogue's cry of 'what the hell!' was followed by Wolverine's instinctive use of his claws, only for Wallflower to disappear a fraction of a second before being stabbed, and then reappearing in the same spot a moment later.

"No really, what the hell was that?!" Rogue insisted, even as she held onto Wolverine to keep him from attacking again.

"You disappeared." Loki breathed out, looking at Darcy with honest shock. "That wasn't just you becoming invisible, or going unnoticed... you truly stopped being there for a moment..."

"I don't know if the name Wallflower is a gross underestimation of your powers, or if it was done entirely on purpose, in order to conceal what you're truly capable of." Hekate added, she seemed to be the only one to understand what her match was thinking.

"My class gave me the name Wallflower." Darcy clarified. "It was supposed to be a joke. Because everyone would look at me, at my body," no one failed to see what she meant by that, "And yet I kept doing all I could to go unnoticed..."

"What you're doing is a lot more than going unnoticed." The hazel-eyed finally told her straight out. "You're not just going unnoticed, you stop being here outright..."

"I don't know how I missed it when we trained together." Loki admitted ruefully. "But every time you use your powers, you go into the Shadow Plane."

Everyone knew what the Shadow Plane was, the dimension-of-sorts that formed between the edge of the known realms and the abyss (also known as outer-space). It was what Loki used to travel, when he was avoiding the Bifrost, and the Hidden Roads took too long. It was how he'd managed to get Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three out of Jotunheim when Laufey and his soldiers were trying to kill them all.

"I could have never imagined a mortal being able to traverse the Shadow Paths with the ease you do." Loki admitted.

"I didn't even know I was going anywhere!" Darcy snapped, overwhelmed. "I thought I just became invisible or intangible or something!"

The plan came to them then. Along with the devices that blocked the portals, Jane Foster and Erik Selvig had created one that would take down the fully open portal and, if calculations were right, prevent any from being opened ever again (there was no way to be sure that part would work, they'd known when a portal opened again... or not).

So, in the end it was Darcy and Phil who took Jane to the top of Stark Tower and protected her while she activated her device. Chitauri turned in her direction when realizing what it was she was doing and every Warrior turned their attentions to keeping her safe so she could do her part. It worked, the portal was closed, the chitauri were defeated, the Warriors for Midgard won.

"Songs will be sung about this battle for ages to come!" Fandral cried out excitedly.

He was right, they all knew that. Every realm would know the story, about the Warriors who'd fought Thanos's forces on Midgard and had managed to defeat them: the King of Asgard, his bride-to-be, the crown whisperer and his own bride (who was also the reincarnation of a most beloved elven princess), midgardians with abilities that seemed to defy reason, and even some with no special powers but who fought just as fiercely. They'd never be forgotten.

The most important part though, for so many of those warriors, was the moment the battle was declared truly as over; when the civilians were allowed to return to their homes, to leave the improvised refuges, when the eyes of all of them met with those they owed their lives, their city and world... the cheering was deafening.

While there were those like Iron Man, who loved the praise and were used to 'performing' for loving crowds; most didn't seem to know what to do with such positive reactions.

For so long humans had feared and hated mutants in turn. Even when negotiations had begun, with Canary interceding before President McKenna, not much had changed. Even when President Cockrum had showed himself so much more sympathetic to the mutant cause, the cooperation of one man, of one government, didn't mean everyone would accept them... and yet... and yet in that moment they'd humans, baselines, cheering them, calling their codenames, thanking them...

"It'd appear your dreams have finally come true, my friend." Magneto... Erik told Charles very softly, a hand on the other man's shoulder.

While he and Charles were together, and most definitely married, Erik could still remember when loving a man was illegal; 'gross indecency' they'd called it, and preferred not to express such feelings in public.

"And you have no idea how incredibly grateful I am about that..." Charles whispered, so much feelings in him his voice sounded like it was about to break.

Erik knew he wasn't only talking about the humans accepting mutants, perhaps he wasn't even thinking about that. After all, one other dream had always been more important that humans accepting them, and that one had come true over two years prior, in a secret, crumbling military base in the middle of nowhere...

**xXx**

Unknown to the victorious warriors, there was one person watching everything from a command center, elsewhere. There were at least two dozen screens before him, half of them showing various recordings of the battle, images of X-Men and Avengers working together to protect the civilians and defeat the aliens; the other half showing different angles of what was going on right then, as Dr. Banner (newly re-shrunken), Phoenix and a few others put their medical training to good use, helping those who'd been injured during the fight, while all around the civilians kept clapping and cheering for their saviors. Even some of SHIELD's own agents were right there, having chosen to fight along with those some still insisted on seeing as freaks, as abnormal... like the man watching it all:

"Trying to think of a way to take back control, Nicholas?" A female voice unexpectedly asked.

Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD, was so shocked he actually spun around, only erasing the surprise from his expression a fraction of a second before it was seen by the very woman who had managed to approach him unnoticed (who'd managed to get into SHIELD's HQ without anyone stopping her, or even seeing her. Then again, there was a reason why she'd been an elite, given the codename of Sphinx...

"Katharine..." He stated in an even tone.

The woman, Kathryn Adler-Salani, shook her head but did not attempt to correct him, she simply did not see the point.

"That's never going to happen, you know?" She said instead.

"What...?" He needed a moment to understand what she was talking about.

"You taking back control." She clarified. "It will never happen."

"Nothing is for certain." He replied, though he didn't sound quite so confident about it.

"Oh but this is." Kathryn insisted. "Those people you're seeing right now, they're the defenders of this world, and everyone knows that. You think the people will let you or anyone else on the WSC or any other body of power, do whatever you like with them? Think they will believe whatever tale you try to spin to justify taking control?"

"The people will believe what we tell them to believe." Fury stated coldly.

"Not this time." Kathryn shook her head. "Wanna know why? Turn your eyes to those screens and look at who those Warriors are. I mean, really look at them. Telepaths, telekinetics, energy-manipulators, masters of the elements, of magnetism, of every single force in this world... They have so much power..."

"That's why they're dangerous, they need to be under supervision."

"You mean control. And you think you're the one who should have that control? Tell me then, Nicholas, who watches over the watchman? The World Security Council? I don't think so. Those people would have sent a nuke onto NY if someone hadn't stopped them!"

"What did you do Katharine...?"

"Nothing, not really. Though I suppose it helps having a direct line to the President... or at least to someone who has his ear, and that of the UN..."

"You're siding with the freaks?!"

"I'm siding with family. My nieces, my daughters are part of them. I thought you'd realized it already Nicholas, I will always side with family."

"They aren't natural."

"Oh Nicholas!" She actually laughed. "Haven't you heard? Mutants are a product of evolution, of adaptation, what in the world, in the universe even, is more natural than that?"

"You know the WSC will not stand for this..."

"They will. Want to know why? Because if they don't... well, lets just say I can make their lives very uncomfortable. Do not forget I was there when SHIELD was founded, right with you. I was there when all deals were made, all the compromises, all the concessions, all the deals with the devil... I'm sure there are quite a few people who won't want that kind of information getting out. For their own good."

"If you threaten them they will kill you."

"What makes you think that will stop anything? You know me Nicholas, you know I don't make idle threats, or do something without planning forward. If you or anyone tries anything, it all comes out. If I die, it all comes out. If something, anything, happens to anyone I care for, it all comes out..."

There was no need for her to point out just how many people she cared for, beginning with her two nieces (adopted daughters) and ending with a school full of mutant children; the Director was clever enough to read between the lines.

Kathryn didn't say anything further, the message had been sent, and she was confident she knew enough high-profile secrets that no one would want to risk them getting out. She also trusted that one day the people's own acceptance of those different would be enough that such threats would no longer be necessary... until then, she had no problem playing dirty.

Nick Fury watched Kathryn Adler-Salani walk away, for the second time in his life, and not for the first time wondered if it'd been really she who'd made the wrong choice all those years ago. In the end such questions were pointless, there was no going back. What was done was done.

**xXx Nightingale's POV xXx**

"So you're leaving then?"

It was the evening and most of the people who'd fought the chitauri army earlier were either still enjoying the party inside the penthouse (Tony had insisted) or had long since taken off so they could have more private celebrations with their respective loved ones. I was staying with Loki, of course, who was in that moment having a drinking contest with Thor, Fandral, Volstagg, Steve and Logan. I'd chosen to to step out for some air, and my sister had followed me soon enough.

"Not right now," I answered quietly. "Not tonight... but we'll be leaving soon, yes."

"I don't like it." She admitted grumpily.

"I know you don't sis." I nodded in understanding. "But this is something that I have to do. Thor and Jane are getting married soon, and then she'll become an Aesir and be crowned Queen of Asgard. Thor will need support for that, Loki's and mine. Also, once people realize who I am... or who I was in a previous life, we'll have to deal with that too. Particularly where it comes to Alfheim and others who remember Princess Tinúviel..."

"What does it feel like?" Marie sounded honestly curious about that. "Knowing you were once a princess, and in another world too?!"

"I was almost Queen, you know?" I commented flippantly.

"What?!" She hadn't known that part, no one but those who'd known me did.

So I told her. I told her about the little girl who'd lost her sister, only to then become a princess at age five. The girl-royal who'd felt so alone, living in a palace, surrounded by guards, a world who seemed to depend entirely on her, on what she represented. The would-be-queen who'd met a certain green-eyed prince one day; who'd eventually given up her crown and her whole world to be with a man she just knew, instinctively, had been chosen to her by the stars, just like she'd been chosen for him. All the trials and tribulations, the bonds of brotherhood, of sisterhood and families of choice. The little girl, child of light, beloved princess and daughter: Helena... and the one who, lead by a deep-seated jealousy and hatred had destroyed one life, the life of a princess of Alfheim and Asgard... and in turn had ruined so much more.

"Wow..." Was all my sister could say at the end. "I... I honestly don't know what to say. To have gone through so much... how do you handle it?"

"I... I'm not sure how to explain it." I admitted, even as I tried to do exactly that. "It's just, I might have been Tinúviel, a part of me might still be her, but that doesn't mean I've stopped being who I am right now: Silbhé, Canary, Hekate, Nightingale... it's like I told you all during that first club session: taking one new name doesn't mean we have to give up another. They can all be a part of us, and equally as important."

Like how she was Rogue, and at the same time Marie...

"Loki might be my husband and match, Thor my brother and Sif like a sister..." I went on. "But that doesn't mean you're any less my sister. Aunt Kathryn is still exactly that, and Logan, Charles, Erik, Raven and everyone else, they're still my family..."

"I know sis, I know." She let out a breath. "You know, I've been thinking about something lately. That whole mantra the Prof has, the whole 'Rage and Serenity' thing..."

"What about it?" I arched a brow, wondering about her line of thought.

"I think it's about more than just mutations, or powers." Marie explained. "It's a balance, and it's in everything. Like in us, us matches I mean. Like how Erik could be considered Rage and Charles his Serenity or something. And Jean and Scott, Loki and you, Logan and... well, I'm not quite sure if I classify as Serenity, but you get my point!"

"I do." I nodded, thoughtfully. "There's also another way you could see it. Not assigning each side to one person, or more like to the half and the whole." At Marie's confused expression I elaborated. "Each of us, separated, we're but a half of the whole, we can easily become Rage, become unbalanced; but once we're together with our match, each of us, we're complete, that's where we find our True Serenity. I think..." I let out a breath. "It might be stupid, I don't know, it's just something that just came to me."

"No I... I think you're right, actually." She murmured quietly.

I wondered if she was doing it on purpose, or if she'd briefly lost control of her telepathy, but for a second I could see a single image: Iceman, at the height of his power, and his madness, fighting her. Perhaps the truest embodiment of Rage...

I wasn't sure why I decided I wanted to sing in that moment, but it just felt right somehow, so I did. It was no song I'd sung before, it just came to me, I was singing straight from my heart...

"A thousand years, a thousand more,  
A thousand times, a million doors to eternity.  
I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times  
An endless turning stairway climbs to a tower of souls.  
If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,  
The towers rise to numberless floors in space.  
I could shed another million tears, a million breaths,  
A million names, but only one truth to face..."

"A million roads, a million fears,  
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty.  
I could speak a million lies, a million songs,  
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time.  
But if there were a single truth, a single light,  
A single thought, a singular touch of grace.  
Following this single point, this single flame,  
The single haunted memory of your face."

"I still love you...  
I still want you...  
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves  
Like galaxies in my head."

"Tararararararararararararararararari..."

"I may be numberless, I may be innocent,  
I may know many things, I may be ignorant,  
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands,  
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands.  
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times,  
Reborn as fortune's child to judge another's crimes,  
Or wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief.  
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief."

"I still love you...  
I still want you...  
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves  
Like galaxies in my head.  
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves  
Eternities still unsaid  
'Til you love me..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think of my meaning for the iconic 'Rage and Serenity'. I couldn¿t get it out of my head. It all began when I read a fic where Erik said something about Charles being his only/truest Serenity... and went from there. 
> 
> My thanks to all my readers and my reviewers. I hope you've enjoyed this, and all the other AUs I've written. Now, as warned, I'm off for a while (several months). Will be back eventually with the next piece for the main timeline. 
> 
> Finally, to those who might have missed it. 'Secret Warriors' has a sort-of companion now. It's called 'Wildfire' and it goes into the Skyeward story that was only in the background of my main fic. Also, to that effect, there is an amazing video created by the wondrous BloodlessAgain, called 'like a wildfire', it was created by her (on my request) following the Skyeward story in Secret Warriors, and served to finally inspire me to write Wildfire. You should really all go and watch her videos, she's amazing (she has another Skyeward one, 'Ghost of you' which I honestly think it's the best video out there of that pairing). 
> 
> So, that's that. Hope you enjoyed, don't forget to comment and see ya around!

**Author's Note:**

> So many feels! I'm a firm believer in soulmates... and in this particular fandom I honestly believe in the pairings I portray, especially the Cherik. There's just something about them that calls to me. 
> 
> Now, just so you know, this shall be the last AU of this set. Meaning that once I'm done here we'll be heading back to the main timeline and my take on Captain America and the AoS tv show. 
> 
> As always, full-sized poster and set of wallpapers are on DeviantArt.
> 
> Please don't forget to comment! Suggestions are always welcome.


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